Electro Recommendations June 2015

Review: Having launched Mystic & Quantum last year with Standing Stones, a DMX Krew album that drew its creative juices from the mysterious pillars of stone that have stood across Western Europe, Ed Upton is back with more LP length endeavours for the Spanish label. The enlightening methods of Buddha seem to be the source of inspiration for the ten tracks on There Is No Enduring Self (a simple press release from Mystic & Quantum merely quotes a section from Buddhist text The Sun of Enlightenment Shines) and musically Upton seems to be on spiritually enriching form with the Das Ding style "Expanding Consciousness" a real highlight. Arrives on limited transparent vinyl LP in silk screen-printed sleeve.

Review: Echo 106 member Bruno Schnuriger goes solo as Francis Juno for Platform Romance, an album shaped synth odyssey for the Mystic & Quantum label, issued on limited white marbled vinyl LP in silk-screen printed sleeve. Very much in line stylistically with previous transmissions on the label, Platform Romance finds Schnuriger channelling all manner of influences through his array of hardware resulting in eight tracks that sounds wholly cohesive despite touching on kosmiche, primitive electronics, acid and electro. It's a great listen from start to finish and there are plenty of cuts you'd want to slam into a mix too, specifically the delightful opener "A Little Bit Of Joy" and "Trains Don't Stop In Brunnen".

Review: We've already been treated to one bonafide classic Entro Senestre 12" this year in the shape of the WT Records released ES ("Rosegold" being the standout) and the producer really spoils us with another superb record in the shape of this Dekmantel debut. The producer, real name Jon Beall, is quite the talent. "The Screen" is Drexciyan-like frenetic electro with a trance, gothic-like glow, while "Hit The Road" is grubby and downright dirty; that's until those delayed chords hit. Chi-town influences, synths and emotional progressions fuel "Trails Of Love", while for some hardcore techno action check out "Slow Motion Disaster". Each track is as good as the next on this record, and yeah it's versatile, but we prefer the word: killer.

Review: Joe Drive, Italy's rising house deviant, has had an impressive run of form since his debut release on Lux Rec back in 2011 and instead of choosing to pimp his stuff out to any label out there, the man has put out his music on top notch labels such as Jamal Moss' Mathematics and Nick Anthony Simoncino's HotMix. This time he inaugurates Kooaad Muzik with four broken house stompers in a distinct sci-fi style, where the aptly named "Anamorphic Age" fills the gaps amongst the beat steps with futuristic synths and squelching alien-like pads. We're particularly fond of the title track but it's also tracks like "Mesmerization" and "Cinemascope" which make Drive's style so damn singular...house music for the next decade, forward-looking club bangers for the earth dwellers.

Review: The peerless Versatile label revisit Etienne Jaumet's 2014 opus La Visite for this 12" of the same name which finds Low Jack, Dusseldorf crew Die Wilde Jagd and label founder Gilb'R all reworking tracks. First up is Die Wilde Jagd, a new production endeavour from Dusseldorf fixtures Sebastian Lee Philipp and Ralf Beck who call on the kraut spirits of the German city for a fine reimaginations of Jaumet's title track which sounds like Neu drenched in all manner of loving delay. Low Jack attacks the same track and his remix could not be more different, a thrilling soupy ride through the dub wasteland - such a talent this guy! Gilb'R ends the 12" on a more relaxing note with a wondrous ambient rendition of "Midnight Man".

Review: Paul Hardcastle celebrates the 30th anniversary of his 1985 anti-Vietnam crossover hit "19" with this deluxe, definitive double vinyl edition that collects no less than 14 versions of the veteran UK synth pop producer's career defining track. Since its release, there have been no less than 66 different cross format editions of "19" issued over the years, not to mention all the compilation appearances, so Hardcastle had plenty of material to choose from when deciding what to include. For the most part, the 14 versions are mostly the producer's own creations with this collection given extra edge by the inclusion for the first time commercially of Hardcastle's original demo of "19" that he recorded in his mum's front room!