Review: Ilian Tape staple Andrea returns to the imprint, marking a big one for the Munich-based operation with a massive album by Skee Mask also this week. As always, UK and rave influences are abundant throughout the talented producer's work and this one is no exception. This EP is called Sktch and features the cavernous, glacial and downright knackered dub techno of 'Sarec', followed by the sinister subterranean breaks of Auxl and the meditative deep dubstep frequencies of 'Kjones' which sees him delve deeper into off kilter territory.
Review: MIDI is one of the many labels out of Romania to operate in the bottomless world of minimal techno. The first five releases have done well to establish it and this sixth is another doozy. It comes from the main man Arapu and features just two tunes, one on each side of this 12". The first is 'Explorers,' a waif, floaty light groove that evolves slowly and subtly over the course of its 12 and a half minute length. A minute longer than that on the flip is 'Noir-Jam,' a more dark and winky tune with slippery synthetic sounds, melancholic chords and rubbery drums and bass.
B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition
Explorers (12:23)
Noir-Jam (13:22)
Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***
MIDI is one of the many labels out of Romania to operate in the bottomless world of minimal techno. The first five releases have done well to establish it and this sixth is another doozy. It comes from the main man Arapu and features just two tunes, one on each side of this 12". The first is 'Explorers,' a waif, floaty light groove that evolves slowly and subtly over the course of its 12 and a half minute length. A minute longer than that on the flip is 'Noir-Jam,' a more dark and winky tune with slippery synthetic sounds, melancholic chords and rubbery drums and bass.
Review: Four big, booming , bass heavy tracks from Swiss production and DJ duo Atrice that stand astride several genre definitions from dubstep to techno and electro. The pair pride themselves on their sound design and it certainly lends a subtle but perceptible air to the hair raising frequencies flying around on the likes of 'Backrooms' and 'Pipe Dreams', the two most obvious contenders for the dubstep tag. 'Chamber Of Mazarbul' and the more electronica-slanted 'Nulspace' are less conventional - at least by general standards if not the wonderfully wayward 'rules' of the eternally renegade Ilian Tape label - but equally thunderous and well executed.
Review: James Bangura steps into the ring with his new Shadow Boxing EP which is named in honour of his grandfather, Carroll Daniel Smith, who boxed for the US Army in WWII. It's a punchy take on tech house from the off, with 'Hazy Recall (Airdrop mix)''s off-grid beats swinging in from all directions with same the potency as a Mike Tyson uppercut. 'Drown It Out' has a garage swing to it as it slips and sides as fluidly as Mayweather's defence and 'Shadow Boxing' floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. Last of all is 'Analyze, Socialize' which will have you on the ropes and sweating in no time.
Review: Batu has long been in a class of one when it comes to crafting meticulously hi finely rhythms and sounds. He now steps out to launch his own new label A Long Strange Dream, with a five track EP that runs the stylistic gamut from ambient to raw and futurist techno. Churning bass and hefty hits one up 'Traverse' which rides on a menacing bassline and is action packed from front to back. 'In Tongues' is a thumping technoid banger and 'For Spirits' is a wild rhythmic work out with disrupted low ends and groaning synths. 'Through The Glass' is the Beatles closer that allows you to catch your breath.
Review: Beau operates at the sharp end of the UK electronic underground and creates an immersive, dark ambient sound that is influenced by trailblazers like Burial. His soundscapes combine ethereal textures with moody rhythms and that is very much the case here on Lacuna, his new album for Feat PLAtes. It is full of roomy sounds, icy glass synths, smeared pads, late-night moods and evocative atmospheres that draw you in ever deeper, sometimes looking over your shoulder, always lost in deep thought. A real lost tape from the short-lived night bus genre, you could say.
Review: And so Bjork's majestic remix collection continues to trickle onto our shelves and into your eardrums. The legendary leftfield pop singer / producer gives up her "Lionsong" tune for remix action from none other than Juliana Huxtable; the newcomer has only got a couple of cameo appearances to their name, but she's coming through string with this one. In essence, it's a techno tune - driven by fire kick drums and minimal sonics - but her soulful twists of vocals render it to be much more than that in the end. It's a soothing, delicate techno massage with a powerful energy.
Review: This surprise new EP finds celebrated music writer and producer Blackdown on the same EP as Burial for the first time since the latter remixed the former 15 years ago. There is a heavy Detroit influence in the far-sighted synths of 'This Journey' (VIP), with angsty vocal samples stitched into the bristling, swinging rhythm. Burial's 'Dark Gethsemane' bares all the producer's usual hallmarks - pitched up vocals, deft samples and a catchy 2-step shuffle. Blackdown then offers up a remix filled with chattery claps and UK funky rhythms to open the B-side, while Burial's 'Space Cadet' is another 2-step classic with its heady way up in the heavens.
Review: London-based Lewi Boome brings his class to this new release on Well Street, strictly limited to just 100 copies so you better act fast! 'Dust Devil' opens with a deft touch - the pinging synth lines and airy drum loops suspending you in a tripped-out world of futurism. That cerebral style continues through the lithe and elegant, dubbed-out rhythms of 'Etched Alive' and the more unsettling moods of jungle-techno cut 'Tumble', complete with distant bird calls and humid pads. 'Deep Shear' rounds out with a little more low-end grit as the fourth and final cut on a superb EP.
Review: Burial's first full-length EP since 2012's 'Rival Dealer' hears the South London enigma plunge the depths of his newest dark ambient sound, wrenching the emo essences of rave from their breakbeats to produce a purely ambient affair. Spanning every emotion from depression to triumph, 'Antidawn' opens with a cough, in a seeming nod to the COVID lockdowns of recent years. Meanwhile, disparate sections buzz and weave in and out of one another on 'Shadow Paradise' and 'Strange Neighbourhood', never quite landing on their feet before being whisked away again. One of Burial's most defining world-building works.
Review:
After his surprise drop with music writer and producer Blackdown on the Keysound label last month, the enigmatic Burial is now back with a fresh new EP all of his own. It comes on his longtime home of Hyperdub and features two more of his deft designed, ghostly deep dubstep post-nightbus joints. 'Chemz' is a strict raver filled with rushed up sounds, plenty of dance floor love and big hooks that is many different tracks, moods and vibes all rolled into one. As always, these Burial sounds look back to go forwards and do so in thrilling fashion.
Review: British producer Burland and Ghanaian vocalist Zongo Abongo join forces here for UK to GH, a new collaboration that collides the respective backgrounds of each artist. Reggae, highlife, dancehall, UK bass and rave all meet in a world of fresh rhythm and melodic invention. 'Telephone No Wire' opens with a feel-good highlife sound on a 2-step beat with vocalist Adotey Johnson in fine form. 'Nyura' heads to the club with weighty bottom ends and enchanting melodies then things get darker on the flip with 'Try To Test' exploring another take on 2-step with hints of UKG and grime overlaid with catchy vocal hooks. 'Last Chance' pairs dancehall vocals with downtempo breaks for a superb conclusion.
Review: Cashmere Cat made quite the splash when he dropped Wedding Bells on LuckyMe back in 2014. In its deft balance of pristine hyper-pop, plaintive classical piano and sneaker-scuffed bass, 'With Me' confirmed his maximalist, misfit appeal in the fine tradition of LuckyMe artists, by going on to work with top tier artists like Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Sophie, Major Lazer... the list goes on. This small but perfectly formed EP captures a moment in music perfectly, when the past decade of stylistic splintering had left the playing field pleasingly wide open and its more than deserving of a repress ten years on.
Review: First spotted online and in the boxes of some very lucky selectors last summer, then released digitally at the start of the year, Chunky's "Oun C" finally gets the vinyl justice it deserves. Rolling with deep space dynamics, there's a classic electro feel to the drums and a weirded out Crosstown flavour to the bubbling, mildly acidic bass. The result of this fusion is a foggy trap that allures the listeners and holds them captive in their own imagination. Flip for "Call Me, Let's Do Lunch". Here the beats are straight-up 4/4 and the nagging, heavily processed hook scream techno. Imagine a Drumcode release being played at -10 and you're on the right track. We're unsure what lunch Chunky has in mind; his name suggests an all-you-can-eat buffet but the sounds suggest something much leaner and chewy.
Review: The Mancunian tones of Swamp81's resident MC Chunky are well known to those who tune in to the label's Rinse FM show on a regular basis. However, this debut EP, forwent any kind of vocal showcase for the kind of hefty, refined fusion of garage and techno we've come to expect from Loefah's empire. Arriving as a 12" doublepack featuring four tracks, The Chunky EP shows Chunky to have the production chops to match his skills on the microphone, showcasing a wide range of influences channeled through a uniquely dark mood; "Decca" is a straight up piece of rolling deep house with a shadowy basement vibe, while "Experiment 727? recalls the syncopated techno of Bambounou or Boddika's leaden beats, while on the second 12?, "Thang" is a masterclass in stripped back garage mechanics, and "Rugged" provides a lo-fi beat that ploughs the darkest recesses of instrumental grime for inspiration.
Gavsborg - "Did Not Make This For Jah_9" (feat Shanique Marie) (4:33)
Review: Techno arriving on 7" is not an all too common sight, but why not? This release from the fledgling Dispari out of Germany suggests it works well. Cloud Management and Gavsborg take one side each, starting with the former. Their 'Tempentary Dance' pairs thudding and broken kick drum patterns with dreamy and rising synth sequences and spoken words. It's brilliantly beguiling. The flip then finds Gavsborg offering 'Did Not Make This For Jah_9' (feat Shanique Marie) which is dark and moody, dubbed out and dystopian deep techno.
Review: Sure Thing presents Well of Sand, its second compilation. Six tracks from the label's friends and favourites, each new to the roster, offer bold, untempered explorations of tempo and weight, a concise yet expansive collection recalling the deliberate cadence of rippling sand and the sheen of shimmering oases. From Command D's subtly groundswelling, but snappy 'Half Blue (Violet Mix)', to Foreign Material's alarmingly alien 'The Living Planet' and Third Space's supremely stereoized, lowercase opus 'Push (Part 2)', this is a release for that large intersection of audiophiles and techno-philes.
Review: Adam Curtain makes a fantastic debut here on the Alien Communications label as he collides come classic bleep-laden and highly danceable electron grooves with plenty of hefty basslines. 'Slipped Disc' quacks off with some ice cold atmospheres and electro-inspired rhythms, 'Whistling Wizard' is another ice-cold blend of crisp rhythms and tiny hits with sci-fi motifs and whirring machine details. 'DRM' then brings a winky and hiccuping rhythm with some superbly stark hits and 'I Want, Want' is a stripped back rhythm with dry synths and rasping sounds that are abstract yet infectious.
Review: The always naughty Sneaker Social Club label taps up D3U5E for this fresh bass fiver tracker. It's a celebration of the UK's rich heritage of electronic music with the plunging bass and massive thwacking hits of 'Quasar' kicking off. There are dusty jungle breaks to 'Dust Particle', twisted dubstep contortions on 'HAL9000' and fizzing broken beats with a real urban menace on 'Deckman.' Closer 'The Abyss' is a collab with Gav that rides a more zoned-out and atmospheric groove and completes a varied and vital EP once more from this crucial underground label.
Review: London trio Damos Room serve up their take on dub-inspired bass music on this new EP which emerged from a rare collaborative session in Elijah Minnelli's loft. 'Commencement' opens with a deep, droning bass groove that's topped with a stream of conscious muttering to create a moody and hypnotic sound. 'Mineral Blend' brings a laid-back dancehall vibe with dreamy echoes of past sessions and remixers Gonjasufi, Lewi Boome, Dome Zero and Polyop individually infuse the tracks with dub techno, acid and experimental twists best highlighted by Gonjasufi's haunting transformation of 'Commencement' into a misty, immersive bit of sonic menace.
Review: .German low end collective Bass Come Save Me unleash a new 45 with a strong Portland portrait as Boomarm's Gulls makes their debut on the label with a warm beat that will keep the chills at bay this winter. Add Jamaica's Wayne Daniel on the vocals and another Portland native Madgesdiq on the conscious bars and there's a vibe that sits somewhere between Roots Manuva, YT and Wyclef. Yeah it's that toasty. Stay blessy.
Review: Marcel Deptford has been around a while and so very much knows a thing or two about rattling bassbins and exploding sound systems. The Sneaker Social label has always been about exactly that and now welcomes him for a pair of rude-boy garage bangers. 'Rock The Boat' gets things underway with some old school low ends and crisp drum programming all topped with a perfect r&b vocal hook. 'Make It Hot' is a nifty two-supper with sci-fi synths withering next to distorted bass bounce. Brilliant stuff.
Review: Lighting up the dance! Toronto / Tallinn tag-team Dima Disk come correct with their most comprehensive and substantial body of work to date. A sprawling web of heavy breaks and even heavy atmospheres, there's an old Botchit & Scarper style eeriness and tension here but brought slap bang up to the modern age. Digging into elements of prog, techno and trance just as much as it nods towards hardcore and jungle, highlights include the relentless bounce of '2kSamba' and the dreamy beatless finale 'Betty'. Ooh.
Review: Destination Venezuela: self-styled Raptor House craftsman DJ Babatr unlocks the cage and lets the pack loose right here on International Chrome. 'To-K' takes the lead with a Balie funk style stomp and old school stabs before 'Soundmind' takes over with a more rampant, electro rasp to the vibe while Amor Satyr takes 'Soundmind' in a much more technoid direction with his remix. Flip for more snappy action 'Butta' enjoys a superb, switchy remix (with nary a piano in sight) and the brilliantly titled 'Dance The Squast' closes with EP with a little hard dance panache. This slays.
Review: DJ Crisps is starting to make some handy garage moves after a couple of various artists' appearances and a fine EP on Time Is Now Germany in July. Now they link up with Oldboy who appeared on Burnski's other label Vivid back in 2022. As you should expect these are four hardcore and rudely garage cuts with plenty of swagger, naughty samples and bass-face potential. 'On My Way' is the standout with its shuffling one-two drum punch, distant police sirens and warped basslines underneath a timeless and irresistible female vocal full of soul. A summer scorcher for sure alongside three more very useful weapons.
Review: More funk for your trunk! Brussels most provocative player DJ Elephant Power stampedes back into the mix with more subversive, fully uncategorisable gold. Pick a genre, any genre and we guarantee you won't be thinking of what's here as we gently melt from the nifty ravey breaks the opening title track to the sleepy, woozy tension of the finale cut 'Infinity'. In between we have bumping bewitching house ('I Got You') and strange slow-mo electro ('Shades'). Thinking of sleeping on this? Tusk tusk tusk on you.
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