MORPHOSIS Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Shaggy haired Berghain don Marcel Dettmann will release a mix CD, entitled Conducted, via Music Man Records, and to whet appetites the Belgian imprint have compiled two vinyl sampler 12"s. The big track here for our money is "Night" by Bluemoon Productions; first released in 1990 on now defunct NY house imprint Code Blue, its breathy keys and rugged drums mark it out as one of the mix's standout moments. This shares the A-Side with Morphosis' bewitching "Too Far", arguably the finest moment on the Lebanese producer's recent album, while on the flip you'll find Signal's crackly subterranean anthem "Wismut" and FBK's paranoid steppah "Nanomal". Essential.

Review: Amsterdam enclave Dekmantel have elected to toast the five year milestone in the best way possible with a series of highly collectable twelve inches featuring tracks from artists who have contributed in that period - be it performing at their killer parties or releasing music on the label. The series gets off to a veritable flyer with productions from Morphosis and Juju & Jordash either side of this wonderfully decorated twelve inch. The latter honorary Amsterdammers open proceedings with a Cosmic Dub update of the "African Flower" jam that featured on their 08 Aesthetic Audio split with Keith Worthy which naturally smoothes out the percussive klack of the original for a more sumptuous ride. It is matched by the jittering analogue behemoth that is Morphosis' "Pulse" with skin crawling organs lifted from the Hammer school of horror excellently riding the scattergun percussive rhythms of an increasingly rippling and dusty beatdown ride.

Review: Released with the minimum of fanfare, Dismantle represents Rabih Beaini's first substantial release as Morphosis since last year's Tepco Report 12", and comes in the form of a five track double 12" release for Honest Jon's The first comprises two Morphosis productions obviously aimed at more adventurous DJs, with the title track (in collaboration with Donato Dozzy) comprising subtly rattling percussion and organic tones unfolding over a steady rhythmic pulse, while "Tamrat Version" comes across as more full bodied, with thicker organ textures tied up with pulsing synths. The second 12" meanwhile is something entirely different, comprising a live score to Carl Theodor Dreyer's Vampyr recorded in Romania; free of rhythm and utilising some outlandish modular sequencing, it's the producer at his most immersive.

Review: Anyone that has indulged in the recent material from Morphosis aka Rabih Beani, such as his stunning Delsin album or contribution to Dekmantel's Anniversary series, will know the Lebanese producer is currently on top of his game. He returns to the helm for the latest release on his own Morphine imprint with two typically varied and uncompromising tracks on The Tepco Report that demand your full attention. "Exposure" sees a beaten down siren traverse a desolate landscape of malfunctioning dronal tones and alluring field recordings with no discernable beat to grab hold of (it sounds equally as ominous at 33rpm by the way). "Postatomicpoetry" crackles to a more substantial rhythm, gradually rising from the machine built mire into a hollowed out cacophony of intricate percussive textures and industrially charged patterns caked thick with detail all weighed down by the monolithic pressure of the bottom end throb.

Review: Morphosis drops back with "Dark Myths Of Phoenicia", a series of tracks exploring the Phoenician mythology. The first part of this mythical saga is lead by hypnotic falls and screaming cuts on "Anat".

Review: A bulging 4x12" release from Styrax to round off their In Loving Memory series. Featuring venerable and fledgling talent alike from both sides of the Atlantic - including Ian Pooley, Laurent Garnier, Morphosis, John Daly, John Beltran and Sven Weisemann to name just a few - In Loving Memory 4:4 is a frankly essential purchase for lovers of the more cerebral strains of house music. Picking a favourite out of this lot is an unenviable task, but we'll plump for the dusty beatdown of Morphosis' "They Just Don't Care".