JOHN HECKLE Schallplatten & CDs

Review: New label Scenery drops the debut EP from Bantam Lions which features two special remixes from John Heckle. Pressed on heavyweight 180 gram vinyl, "One To One" opens with piqued pan pipes, funky synths and subtle saxophones allowing John Heckle to bring the jack and analogue persuasion in his high energy remix. Shuffled hats, dusty scraps and spooked out rhodes make up "Control Tower Observations". John Heckles this time pitches down the original's rhodes, throwing in some extra claps to ensure his trademark percussion concussion drum programming is kept in tact.

Review: John Heckle last released an album on Tabernacle three years ago, but he's been far from quiet since then with his Head Front Panel project diverting his attention towards blistering hard techno. Tone To Voice then represents a return to more melodic pastures with a more diverse selection of tempos and moods to choose from, but still Heckle's innate gift for expressive, dynamic machine music shines through. "Sonic Spectrometer" is a joyous slice of techno-jazz, while "Potential Life" whips up stunning cascading synth lines and pattering hats. At times, there's no need for a kick, and with ample ambient excursions woven into the mix this stands as one of Heckle's most accomplished releases yet.

Review: Liverpool-based producer John Heckle is remarkably prolific, but still manages to maintain an impressively high quality threshold. On Tributes To A Sun God, he's in a remarkably melodious mood. While opener "Alexandria" comes blessed with his usual tough analogue beats - not to mention the hissing cymbals of Detroit techno - its' most endearing features are the drowsy pads and undulating melody lines. A similar approach can be found on the more acid-centric "Mesopatamia", which pops and spits with dancefloor intent. A fine package is completed by handclap-heavy drum workout "Track 4", and the Ambient House era electronics and sparse drum hits of "Track 2".

Review: Wherever he may wander, and whichever labels he dabbles with, there will always be a place for John Heckle on the Mathematics Recordings' roster. This is the producer's fourth outing on Jamal Moss's Chicago-based imprint, and it's as intergalactic and out-there as you'd expect. He begins with the electro-influenced drum machine rhythms, mixed-down chords, bubbling electronics and spacey melodies of "Sun Of U", before exploring more becalmed ambient territory on the wonderful "At The Summit". "Where The Wild Things Go" arguably has more in common with freestyle jazz than techno - despite the presence of his trusty drum machines and vintage synths - while "Trema" itself is an evocative, broken techno delight smothered in far-sighted melodies and mood-enhancing pads.

Review: The secret to John Heckle's impressive productivity is probably his admirable commitment to jamming with analogue hardware. Certainly, there's a loose, all-action immediacy to this outing on Midnight Shift. Tinged by acid throughout, and with more than a few nods to both Detroit futurism and vintage British "intelligent techno" (most obvious on the early Orbital style, stargazing shuffle of closer "Frozen Planet"), Wet Noises is arguably one of Heckle's strongest EPs to date. The title track itself is particularly potent, offering a surging combination of stomping techno drums and intoxicating acid lines, while the bleaker "Alpha Deux" sounds like the musical foretelling of some kind of post-apocalyptic future.

Review: It would be fair to say that John Heckle is Britain's unofficial Chicago house king. By Chicago house we don't necessarily mean tracks which sound 'old-school', but rather ones which contain that loose feel, the kind of DIY approach which was adopted by everyone from Armand to Steve Poindexter. His latest bundles of drum machine magic land on Lunar Disko - Ireland's prime techno outlet - and it's five tracks of synth-heavy house music for the more trained of ears. From "Bon Voyage" to "Implications Of Meaning", Heckle goes in heavy on the drums and his unmistakably distorted touch but there are plenty of melodics within, such as the beautiful chimes of "Drunken Organ". Hot!

Review: Having another John Heckle release on the Liverpool-based Tabernacle Records is like The Beatles collaborating with Ravi Shankar again - it's always welcome. This time around it's Heckle's 2013 album Desolate Figures which gets remixed and first up is Greek producer Vercetti Technicolor, known to Simoncino's HotMix label, who supplies a vamp-heavy and empowering Italo remix of "Inhuman Nature". Peoples Potential Unlimited artist Moon B goes tropical with a choir of synthesised vocals in his 're calc' of "Power Of Two", while Call Super proves to be this record's wild card adding a gorgeous 'Cyan Stain' to the track "Love Lies".

Review: Having plied his trade on labels across the world, Liverpudlian analogue explorer John Heckle sticks closer to home with this EP, popping up on local label Scenery. Heckle's approach to house - raw, uncompromising, exciting and more than a little eccentric - is perfectly suited to Asok's imprint. "Laid Away" surges from the speakers like some long lost Detroit classic, whilst retaining Heckle's unique sound, while "DDT" is a fearsome chunk of robust acid blessed with a seriously heavy bassline. It compliments the track's intense drum machine anarchy perfectly. Remix wise, there's a deeper, woozier take on the title track by Perseus Traxx, while Ksoul and Muteoscillator turn the same cut into an exotic, Afro-tinged analogue deep house gem.

Review: It's John Heckle week here at Juno HQ; the office is still reverberating from the huge mix the Liverpudlian producer dropped for the Juno Plus site last week and we have not only a new album from him to enjoy but this debut release for Aroy Dee's MOS Recordings! Named after a mountain range near Chinese city Ghuangzhou, the Baiyun Mountain EP finds Heckle in typically unrelenting form from the off. Ferocious is the best way to describe "Cactus Jack," and "Birds With Vertigo" takes things even darker, the incessant chatter of drums underpinned by all manner of demonic, menacing vocal samples and harsh bass tones. The title track offers a chance to escape the hellish nature of the A Side, operating at a slower tempo which demonstrates Heckle is eminently capable of a deeper and more relaxed sound.

Review: Desolate Figures is the excellent second album from John Heckle which builds on the strong debut LP the Liverpudlian released on Mathematics some two years ago. Indeed it's possible to view Heckle's affiliation with Mathematics as a springboard to wider acclaim - Heckle's debut EP earned him an honours at last year's Qwartz Awards and he's subsequently struck out with weighty slabs of hardware driven techno for Creme Organization, Signals, Apartment and Tabernacle Records. The latter label have become something of a second home for Heckle so it's no surprise to see Desolate Figures issued through Tabernacle and the nine tracks come across as a very intense collection that demonstrate Heckle's signature sound is becoming ever more impressive!

Review: Ahead of his Desolate Figures LP due on Tabernacle next month, John Heckle drops the brilliantly named "Back Alley Terminator" on the same label together with a clutch of similarly hard-hitting remixes. The original is a proper acid banger in true Heckle style, surrounded by blasts of euphoric '80s synths and heavy set kicks. Andreas Gehm cleans up the surrounding interference for his remix, making the 303 line the centre of attention, Mick Wills turns in something on more of an EBM tip filled with the kind of rolling arpeggios you can see going down well at a World Unknown party, and Valanx does something else entirely with a shadowy rework filled with droning pads and sluggish industrial rhythms that sound like Einsturzende Neubauten at their most reflective.

Review: Given the particular slant on straight to tape, jacking house music brandished by John Heckle across numerous fine releases for Mathematics, Signals and Tabernacle, its little surprise to now find the Liverpool native arriving on the excellent Creme Organisation. Equally lacking in surprise is how quality The Last Magic Maker is, containing five of Heckle's most powerful and diverse productions to date and further heightened by the vivid, striking nature of the cover art from Godspill's Mehdi Rouchiche. Proceedings commence with the jackhammer Italo of the title track, where cosmic strains are fed through the Heckle mangler whilst piston style drums lock into their deathly groove, whilst some smart, intermittent edits slip in throughout. Following this, proceedings see the contemplative, expansive house of "Short Arms & Long Rockets" sandwiched between two sketched arrangements whose length is consumed by potency before ending on tropically flavoured bumper "On The Fields".

Review: Since John Heckle was last on Tabernacle his profile has risen considerably, as his rip-roaring live sets, equally punishing DJ turns and immaculate productions have snapped the ears of all and sundry craving a relevant update of the Chicago house method. On this fresh four tracker, there's yet more of that electric, crackling jack business, from the square wave bashing "Doctor Catz" to the frenetic disco stomp and warbling synths of "1-7 Main, 8-9 Recurring". As you might guess from the title, "Ode To SAW" is an ambient excursion clearly doffing its hat to Aphex Twin's seminal exercise in beatless bombast.

Review: John Heckle's debut album Second Son was undoubtedly one of 2011's highlights, traversing eclectic terrain, from beatless ambient interludes to raw analogue jams and heaving acid. Mathematics offers a timely reminder of how stunning it was with this twelve inch offering of the four tracks that featured on the CD release but not the double LP edition. The ever lolloping "One Self" demonstrates the Liverpudlian McNulty lookalike at his subaqueous, tape chewed best, whilst the beatless "I & I" oscillates with wildly experimental tones and vague hints of eastern enlightenment. From here, the orchestral touches that grace the deliciously utopian euphoria of "Fly City" provides some welcome respite while the brilliantly named "Analog Bulldog" jackhammers away at your senses with a relentless energy. The four tracks here encapsulate perfectly why Jamal Moss was so keen to release Heckle's long player.

Review: Following the double vinyl release of John Heckle's keenly awaited debut long player a few months back, Mathematics belatedly grace us with the compact disc edition. The Second Son is an illuminating follow up to a couple of excellent EPs for Jamal Moss's imprint, with the North West based producer further showcasing his gritty, raw slant on techno. From the murky sci-fi of opener "If One Second Were A Million Years", we're treated to the curious jangling melodies of "Counting Down To Infinity" and 80s electro flex of "Voyager (Voyeur)". The album continues to traverse eclectic terrain, from beatless ambient interludes to raw analogue jams and heaving acid. 2011 has been a fine year for techno albums - overlooking this one would be a crime.

Review: Mathematics don John Heckle drops a long player that was given the prefix 'keenly awaited' by everyone here at Juno a long time ago. Following two excellent EPs for Jamal Moss's imprint, the North West based producer drops this 10 track set showcasing his gritty, raw slant on techno. From the murky sci-fi of opener "If One Second Were A Million Years", we're treated to the curious jangling melodies of "Counting Down To Infinity" and 80s electro flex of "Voyager (Voyeur)" on the first side of this double 12". The LP continues to traverse eclectic terrain, from beatless ambient interludes to raw analogue jams and heaving acid. 2011 has been a fine year for techno albums - overlooking this one would be a crime.

Review: North West techno talent John Heckle offers an intriguing insight into the direction of his forthcoming long player for the Mathematics imprint with this rather good, and at times mental, full debut for the Tabernacle imprint. Heckle was involved in the inaugural release from Tabernacle last autumn, and since then his stock has risen thanks to a selection of raw wall rattlers for Jamal Moss' label. The four tracks here continue to demonstrate Heckle's mastery of drum machines and synthesisers to create a slant on techno that is infused with roughness and ear shattering potency. "R136" messes with your senses from the off, somehow managing to dice up vocal loops and loose drums in a drunken fashion yet retain rhythmic urgency, whilst drowning the expanses in wide washes of Motor City emotion. In contrast "My Only Hope" exposes Heckle's more experimental side, with heavy reliance on freeform synths muddily spraying around the dirt encrusted drum patterns. The title track withholds the aforementioned mental streak, with an army of percussion, jagged arpeggios and concrete bass quite battering your senses into submission.

Review: Ireland's Lunar Disko is back in the game with another one of their immensely entertaining collaborative EPs, and this one is featuring a selection of artists whom we feel particularly fond of. For starters, our man man John Heckle is in the place repping the UK-side of techno, leading the lines with the wonky, off-kilter electro-acid cut named "Steel Sky", while label regular Conan comes through with an insanely lo-fi techno cut called "Neptune Racing" that feels like it was made in the basement of a sweaty Chicago studio circa 1989. On the flip, 214, who is another familiar face, drops an aerial attack in the form of a paranoid, brooding artillery of glitchy electro by the name of "Deep Ellum", whereas VC-118A's relatively more placid "Face The Waves" delves into a much deeper and floaty downtempo mode for the early, early sets...

Review: AMR's 27th release features a barnstormer of a track by the legendary John Heckle (of Mathematics Recordings, Tabernacle Records, and M>O>S Recordings) that is sure to light up clubs everywhere. Its big,fat, analog bassline combined with take-charge leads and rising melodies is a floor-filler. "Emerald 66" is six minutes of dancing bliss with its in-your-face snares, claps, and tambourines. Malcolm Moore works the flip side with "Way Of The City", an affair that starts out muted but quickly expands into a drum-filled frenzy. A break in the action gives dancers a moment to catch their breath before the acid onslaught continues in earnest in the second half.

Review: Skylax come through with the house ruffness once again, presenting a second edition of their Houseville of Skylax series which brandishes cuts from the masters Heckle, Luv Jam, Rezkar and Muzikbox. Proceedings commence with the two part "Roundabout" from John Heckle, a double dose of primal freeform manipulation of his trusty Roland gear which will interest any fans of his excellent work on the Mathematics label - part 2 is particularly heavy! Bikini Freak Sascha Peinetti adopts another alias in Master Muzikbox and delivers the proto house harmonic brilliance of "Forget About What?" which is quite rightly described by the label as invoking the spirit of Ron Hardy. On the flip Rezkar takes it deep into the system with "Won't Be Long" and Crow Castle Cuts regular Luv Jam ends proceedings on a more restrained note with "Acid Mouse".

Review: Boss Tracks gets ignited as a vessel for the work of three nefarious cartoon individuals who may or may not relate to three Liverpudlians with a penchant for jacking hardware tackle. John Heckle, Mark Forshaw and Binny are formidable enough on their own, so combined as Phantom Planet Outlaws there's no shock to hear the acid raining down in a most expressive of ways. "Hybrid 1" finds Heckle squeezing atonal hooks out of his gear like a free jazz maverick while Forshaw fires off the whipcrack tones on "Flash Back". Binny meanwhile brings a malevolent twist on searing loopy techno to bare on "The Return" making this a record for only the toughest heads to drop.