DJs: Most Charted - Minimal / Tech - June 2014

Review: San Francisco DJ/producer Charles McCloud Duff has been making increasingly prominent strides under the Matrixxman guise over the course of the past year with the exposure from releases for Fifth Wall, Unknown To The Unknown and Vin Sol's Soo Wavey paving the way to getting scooped up by Spectral Sound, Amulet is his most high profile release to date, and suggests he's more than comfortable with life on the Ghostly Intl offshoot with all four track an effortless showcase in house music production. Executed with a rack of Roland gear, the A Side sees Duff pairing classicist Chicago signifiers with a modern production sheen with lead cut "Venetia Mask" equipped with the best finger snaps in some time. Hit the flip for two examples of Matrixxman's tougher techno side with final track "The Caravan" a real darkside roller.

Review: One of the windy city's most recognised exponents of Chicago house, Boo Williams, returns to the German run Chiwax label for the second time following last year's orange Pleasant Dreams 12". There's no denying the tracks on this red Last Of The Past 12" are the types that so many try to imitate; like the basic, but perfect one-two bassline of "End Of Days", or the filter sweeps and slinky keys of "Party Time". Then there's "Blue Horizon", a bassline driven club track that sounds like a mellow Fanon Flowers cut from his Studio Sounds label, while "Along The Way" is what you'd imagine an Autumn-time soundtrack to Chicago's south side would sound like.

Review: Haunting minimalisms packed full of subtle cheekiness and clubby vibes is what "Semi-Floating Objects" is all about, and you can really hear the machines and the people behind them bring this track to life. Meanwhile on the flip there's a watery, acid house touch to "Semi Flying Objects" that maintains the danceable, club construction of this track, which all the while keeps in theme with the spooky purposes and atmospheres of this 12". Turn the lights down for these two.

Review: Taking their time to issue out carefully chosen gems from the world of minimal house music, Lick My Deck are back once again with a fine pair of stripped down floor workers from the ever-trusty Ion Ludwig. Both sides share the same kind of shuffled house groove, naturally played out on slender drum hits over un-ending stretches of repetition. Of the two "Polarized Color" lets the most freakiness in amongst its bones, as shapeless wraiths of fuzzy melodic tone drift into earshot intermittently. "No Man Can Be One Way You Should See" meanwhile stays more purely devoted to the beat with just the odd moment of distorted vocal lingering in the background.

Review: There's been an office sweepstake regarding who Perlon would call on to provide the music for the historic PERL100, and given the low key approach the label has retained since Zip and Markus Nikolai founded it back in 1997 it's little surprise they've turned to a label regular in Margaret Dygas. It's a welcome return for Dygas too, with the Berlin-based artist's last appearance on Perlon her well received self titled long player back in 2011! Stylistically both "In Wood" and "That" are what we've come to expect from Dygas, offering a loose, warm brand of minimal house that is full of hypnotic intent, with the latter track particularly potent.

Review: Absent from the Perlon release schedule since contributing A Cat Called Mice back in 2011, Amsterdam's resident Doctor San Proper returns to Zip and Markus Nikolai's cultish label with Yestoday. The three tracks here continue where San Proper left off with is recent Pet = Master EP for Arma, with the title track one of the funkiest tracks committed to the Perlon catalogue in some time. The DJ tool "Drop & Run" could easily work its way into a straight up house set, though it's still got plenty of those production idiosyncrasies one expects from San Proper, speaking of which "Burn for Love" is positively filled with them. The only question that remains is who is going to helm Perlon 100?

Review: Berlin-based label and collective Lize Records present their second release, and it's a distinctive looking one with their in-house artist Aljoscha Hohborn responsible for a screen printed bison that won't fail to catch your eye. The music proves to be just as memorable however and that's little surprise as its Cologne-based producer David Joseph is behind the buttons under his established St Joseph moniker. Some four tracks deep, you can't help but feel Joseph's personality and production expertise in each production with a sense of intoxicating hypnosis perhaps the unifying factor. A Side tracks "Nasty Boy" and "Miasanmia" are loose and jacking, whilst "Desktest" is St Joseph in rugged form and "Letyougo" a sweet and constantly surprising finale filled with summery warmth.

Review: Canadian violinist Owen Pallett lends a hand to Dan 'Caribou / Daphni' Snaith on this latest bout of rootsy grooves for his more club ready venture, and the results are rather startling. "Julia" rides on a bumping drum beat that sounds as though it were fashioned out of solid oak, while Pallett's string chops come in dramatic side strokes to add a sense of danger to an already tense situation. "Tiberius" meanwhile has a more techno-orientated outlook, while the strings this time come in nerve-shredding discordant formations that conjure up a fire-and-brimstone party scenario for the more apocalyptically minded dancer.

Review: Darren Brandon's story in house music stretches back to the early days of Dance Mania, and since then he has popped up intermittently under various guises on labels including Black Market and Alleviated, assuring the venerable roots of Chicago house run through his musical veins. On this second EP for More About Music there is no shortage of quality outboard soul music to be enjoyed, with a distinctive flair to each track that makes this an essential release. Whether it's the lush Heard-isms of "Dark Minor" or the sassy ghetto acid of "Test Pressing", there's no shortage of quality to be found on this particular 12".

Review: Released earlier this year, Efdemin's third studio album Decay will probably end up in a fair few end of year lists come December thanks to ten tracks that mixed up the poignant, introverted house Phillip Solman is know for with a few stylistic curveballs. Obviously aware of this, Dial have elected to complement the album with a series of remix 12"s and the first features quite a diverse selection of contributors indeed. Livity Sound's Asusu mans the A Side with a wonderfully minimalist take of "Some Kind Of Up And Down Yes" with the original's alien qualities smudged into something surprisingly understated and atmospheric. By contrast Steffan Linzatti goes the opposite route with his remix of "Solaris", embellishing the fluttering Martian textures with the results akin to Jeff Mills' Something In The Sky series. A closing remix from Efdemin's studiomate John Gurtler (a.k.a. The Borderline State) sees "Parallaxis" shorn of it's rhythmic backbone and replaced with acoustic instrumentation which Dial describe quite aptly as a "convergence of minimalist composers Moondog and Wim Mertens".

Review: Fresh from unleashing an album of the year contender in Young Marco's Biology, ESP Institute return to matters of the 12" platter and welcome Munich trio Tambien back into the fold for a superb second record. The Der Elf 12? is described by the label as "a beacon of hope in a dark warehouse" andwill be welcome news for anyone that indulged in Drogato, last year's ESP bow from Bartellow and Public Possession pair Marvin & Valentino. Both tracks here suggest Tambien's productions are growing in confidence and range with each release. The concoction of bouncing 909 rhythms, gently bent synths and heavily delayed vocals that make up the A-side title track could easily be mistaken for a production from Mark Seven's Parkway label, and is complemented nicely by the melodically-driven deepness of "Are You In Touch w/ Varan?"

Review: REPRESS ALERT!: Trelik returns with a repackaged edition of one of the catalogue's most treasured releases. "Overcome" and "Lady Science (NYC Sunrise)" need little introduction, and now come sporting the new TR11:11 matrix number. Written and produced by Thomas Melchior and Baby Ford aka Soul Capsule, these tracks came from one of the many sessions recorded at the West London Ifach Studio in 1999. On the A Side "Overcome" is stripped back and energetic, driven by rolling and shuffling garage style beats, tight bubbling bass and atmospheric synth pads. The intermittent vocal samples and the release's signature organ set you up for the flip, "Lady Science (NYC Sunrise)". Possibly one of house music's most emotive pieces, the track builds slowly with the introduction of each part building a story of soulful optimism based around a sparse palette of deep synths, uplifting keys and warm analogue bass. The understated beauty of the main vocal riff never seems to grow old or tired with the track lending itself perfectly to either main room, peak-time play or after-hours sessions alike. Remastered by Rashad at D & M.

Review: After the success of their Innervisions and Life and Death releases, Lithuanian duo Ten Walls set themselves up for a hat trick with the rousing tones of this EP for new label BOSO. The title track in particular tugs at the emotional nerves via a powerful line in orchestral strings, replete with a sturdy rhythmic backbone and some accompanying horn parps that add to the epic feel of the tune. On the flip, "Nochony Dozor" opts for a more heated concoction of synths that range from rotating sirens to washing pads, with a looming bass tone underpinning the action and spelling out the melodic end of proceedings.

Review: Over the course of eight years, Bristol party Just Jack have showcased the best in house and techno so you wonder why it's taken them so long to decide to expand operations and launch their own label. Regardless of the reasons, Just Jack show they mean business here in handing duties for the inaugural release to Dutch pair Beesmunt Soundsystem. David Van Der Leeuw and Luigi Vittorio Jansen made all the right noises with the pair of 12" released on Soweso a few years back, but The Baby Maker EP shows they've stepped up their productions a notch or two. Lead track "Close To Me" is an opulent blend of course and forceful drums, sultry vocals and irresistibly effective bass grooves, whilst "How I Wish" shows off their more soulful side. Do not sleep on the self styled Body To Body Deep Dark Excursion remix from Amir Alexander that grips the B Side!

Review: Phoenix G reaches its 50th release in its fifteenth year of business and finds Colin McBean in irrepressible form on this Long Time Coming EP! Should you want some compelling evidence for why so many people regard Mr G as one of the most distinctive production voices amongst the UK house and techno cognoscenti, spend some time with the four tracks here. Lead track "Mandiba" is machine Funk at its most potent, whilst the functional drums of "Distortion (Rita's Soul)" have to contend with the soulful impact of the tear jerking vocal hook and that resonant, earthy synth line. "Zam Zam" is Martian techno at its most sinister, whilst the Mango Boys Red Eye mix of "Where I Feel It Most" is a simple yet very effective DJ tool.

Review: Lazar Cezar doesn't release that much but each new record from him or his Understand label is worth the wait. For starters, the four tracks that appear across two heavy weight 12"s - with bespoke artwork - boast an obvious pride behind the release, and the same can be said for the production. The EP's highlight is the knee-deep pops and gurgles of "Time & Space" that surface to bubble around dampened beats and irregular-to-regular hi-hat and snare patterns. Listen to it and it's almost like being caught inside a floating blob of it. "Sun2216" is very deep, and so subtle that in parts it's almost not there - you can only just make out what sounds like snippets of spiritual teachings by Jiddu Krishnamurti. The A-side of Om Vedea's second disc, "Shakeuit", is more for the dancefloor thanks to its workman-like minimal techno that doesn't stop, while "Adagio or Truism" is tonal, trippy and ultimately experimental heat from the heart of Bucharest.

Review: Recent times have seen Gerd Janson and Phil Lauer focus on developing their Tuff City Kids project into a fully fledged production unit, with a EP on Delsin complementing the usual raft of remixes the pair get involved in, which include Internasjonal, Phantasy, DFA, Visionquest and Mojuba this year. This new Running Back record sees the pair revert to their other successful ongoing partnership, with Janson as label owner and Lauer as artist. Entitled Laui XIV, this four track 12" is the first solo Lauer record since last year's superlative BIS transmission and lives up to the label's billing as "Post-house-proto-disco-trance rockets fuelled by new wave and sound transmissions from middle-wave Caucasus". Lead track "Tyler" is a particular delight, filled with the sort of effervescent, rich sonic qualities that Phillip has made his name on!

Review: Daniel Avery remains as busy as ever, with both a debut album and a Fabric Live mix leaving him a fully fledged member of the international DJ network. Another release on Phantasy Sound sees another two tracks from Avery's aforementioned LP Drone Logic get the remix treatment from Bulgarian beat specialist Kink and the (vaguely) mysterious Beyond The Wizard Sleeve. Kink, as usual, conjures LP closer "Knowing We'll Be Here" into tightly packed groove with plenty of melodics and a seductive bassline, as he does. The flip is weirder than one would expect and it's probably the better of the two remixes for it. Morphed beats, wacky FX tricks and snappy vocal chops. Top!

Review: Its fairly safe to say that Jay Bliss is on fire at the moment. Now he takes time out from his recently launched "Stomping Grounds" imprint to follow up on his 2013 appearance with OCH on "The Remix EP". Here the warm, punchy 9 minute A-side creates a highly seductive floor-tension. Flip the disc over for two modern take's on minimalism, possibly paying homage to Studio One or Basic Channel with persistent rhythms, undertones of original dub, shaken and stirred with plenty off Bliss magic.

Review: Fresh off introducing the Watergate Files from US house legend Kerri Chandler, Watergate's label branch look much closer to home for their latest transmission with new resident Matthias Meyer offered the chance to showcase his productions. Meyer's got a respected production pedigree with output on the Liebe Detail label dating back to 2006 and he seems a perfect fit for the Watergate label, a notion that's only strengthened after checking the Becuz EP. There's an atmospheric density to the organ-hooks and shredded vocals on the title track which doesn't derail the sense of forward momentum offered by the driving groove, whilst "November Rain" demonstrates Meyer's equally adept at crafting lighter productions. Mario Basanov remixes the latter track, adding a dash more colour and suppleness to proceedings with sacrificing the mood.

Review: Hailing from sunny Los Angeles, Plastic Love Records kicks off our first release with an EP from label co-boss Jimmy Maheras. Maheras made his debut in 2011 with his Space Jam EP on the Crosstown Rebels edit sub-label, Rebellion. Since then he's released remixes and singles on Strainjjur, Riff Raff, Supernature, and Left'd.

Maheras's two original tracks showcase his depth with The Man From Another Place being squarely aimed at the big room dance floor and the second track, Arecibo, bringing a little Kraftwerkesque funk. We've commissioned Timothy J Fairplay (Crimes Of The Future) and Cottam (Aus Music / Ruff Draft) for two very unique remixes. Fairplay crunches down the original melody and throws it over the famed amen break to give TMFAP a hands in air late night feel while Cottam's remix brings the dreamy melody closer to acid with storming late night kick ready to knock down a wall.

Review: It's a record of beginnings for Kesper as the first release for the alias and the start of Slipstone Records. From the outset it looks as though deep house with a Fred P elegance is the order of the day, although "Afterglow" is equally shot through with a trancey, new age lilt in its melodic composition. "Transmission" meanwhile gets into a more minimal kind of groove although not at the expense of more soaring pads that drift in and out of earshot. "Re-entry" meanwhile has a deep techno pulse to it, not least in the twinkling arpeggios that shimmer across the top of the track.

Review: New York producer John Roberts sophomore set, 2013's concept set Fences, was something of an off-kilter triumph. There's more atmospheric, gently undulating, experimentally-minded fare to be found on this new EP for Roberts' long-time home Dial Records. "Ausio", a gently unwinding foray into quietly melodic but formidably fuzzy techno territory, is particularly revelatory, feeling ear-pleasing and attractive despite its' analogue rhythms and clear dancefloor focus. The skittering but fluid "Indigo" - IDM meets 808 electro meets leftfield Balearica - is almost as good, while "Faces" is unashamedly picturesque and wholeheartedly sweet. In other words, it's another excellent EP from the classically trained producer.