Giegling Germany Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Two years on from the release of Kettenkarussell's acclaimed debut album, Easy Listening, Giegling has handed over the parts to a quartet of highly regarded remixers. Lawrence steps up first, serving up an atmospheric, softly spoken techno revision of "Of Course" that bristles with hypnotic intent. One-time Playhouse regular Losoul - now celebrating two decades in music production - delivers a deliciously tactile, acid-driven rework of "Konstant Sleep", before Vril fuses grandiose ambient textures, looped riffs and head-nodding techno beats on a fine remix of "Spirale". Finally, New York's Ezekiel Honig reaches for the lo-fi piano samples, dusty textures and dub techno influences on his inspired remake of "Of Course".

Review: At the tail end of 2016, Giegling released a fine EP of remixes of tracks from Kettenkarussell's 2014 debut album, Easy Listening. It seemed like a strange move at the time (even if the remixes were excellent), but thanks to the appearance of this sophomore album now makes perfect sense. As follow-ups go, Insecurity Guard is rather impressive. Deep, atmospheric and, at times, otherworldly, the album flits between crackling, ambient-influenced haziness, locked-in dancefloor wooziness, twinkling, string-laden techno, dubbed-out goodness (the hissing goodness of "Your Hands") and the kind of loose and languid fusions of electronic and acoustic instrumentation that defy easy categorization (see sublime closer "Brueder").

Review: Lawrence's Epiphany Remixes, a release from the German record label Giegling, presents four distinct interpretations of the title track. Each remixer brings a unique approach to the original piece, resulting in a diverse and captivating soundscape. Zoe Polanski's version transforms the track into a crystallized melody, creating a cold yet beautiful atmosphere. Lowtec's remix explores deep techno, delivering a smooth and dreamy ambiance with a touch of sadness. M Pittman Ladder's interpretation adds a gritty, chunky bassline, while Tobias' remix elevates the tempo, creating a pulsating and mechanical percussion elements. These remixes showcase the versatility of Lawrence's original composition, demonstrating how different artists can reinterpret and reshape it to create new and engaging experiences.

Review: The Giegling label is no stranger to implementing conceptual ideas within the constructs of their output and Sudstadt EP, their 12th release, offers an intriguing central idea. Each of the four producers here - Giegling regulars Vril, Prince Of Denmark and Leafar Legov along with debutant Herr Koreander - grew up in Hannover and this 12" offers them a chance to portray their individual memories through the medium of music. Legov and Koreander commence and end the release in experimental fashion and sandwiched in-between is some of Giegling's most eminently danceable output yet from Vril and Prince Of Denmark.

Review: Having set out her stall via quietly confident EPs on AKU and Groovement, Emeline Ginestet brings her particular brand of dusty deep house to Giegling for the very first time. She starts in confident mood via the low-slung, jazz-flecked grooves, toasty bass and bluesy vocal samples of "Fire", before reaching for a more tropical sound palette on the feverish late night delights of "Where It Never Ends". Over on side B, "Calypso" expertly combines skewed machine drums, deep house pads and late night electro vibes, while attractive and ear-pleasing closing cut "Si Seulement" delivers a flowery, Balearic-minded deep house flourish to bring down the curtain on Ginestet's strongest EP to date.

Review: Cult label hosting a very well established, if often under-the-radar proponent of the heads down, party-starting but intelligent side of house and techno. Doesn't sound like the worst combination in the world, in many ways Habe ich Gewonnen? is indicative of Maayan Nidam's studio progression, an artist who has long toyed with sounds similar to this EP while building a strong back catalogue on more 'straight up' imprints such as Perlon and Cadenza. Across four tunes things are resolutely non-conformist but instantly engaging and accessible. The loose, jazz-hued broken joy of 'Ice Bear', the jerky, off-kilter minimal lunge of 'In Reverence', pared back percussive wobble on the title track, and the post-punk styled 'Le Petit Mort' are all exceptional pieces, packed with musicality and ideas that go well beyond where many dancefloors stop.