Review: Yes, we were just thinking exactly the same thing: Shlomi Aber on Nonplus? But yes, it's actually for real. The Israeli tech house master known for such clever titles as Chicago days, Detroit Nights and the producer for Gel Abril among others, is trying something different and indeed using Boddika's label as a platform. "Takeover" is dark, peak time tech house, somewhat different from what you'd expect from him but similar all the same. It's "Street Works" where the real surprise is at; a cyclical and stomping peak technocut that sounds like something on Klockworks. Interesting developments yet in this famed producer's career.
Review: Werk Discs chief Actress - aka Darren Cunningham - drops the breathtaking Machine & Voice EP ahead of a full album release slated for May. Despite a relative paucity of releases in recent years, 2010 is set to be a watershed for Cunningham. A remix of Joy Orbison’s recent single "The Shrew Would Have Cushioned The Blow" on Will Saul’s Aus Music, kicked things off. Now within a space of a fornight he’s dropped this EP, on Instra:mental's Nonplus imprint, and another on his own label. And of course Splaszh, his second full length album, continues to loom tantilisingly on the horizon.
Machine & Voice sees Actress pulls off his usual trick of drawing on many disparate influences - from dubstep to techno to drum & bass - yet managing to make his sound stand alone. In keeping with the label, these three tracks are of a more experimental/bass-driven bent, although such an ambiguous description hardly does it justice. Whatever you want to call it, the fact is Actress now occupies a space in electronic music that no one else can touch. Do not miss this EP.
Review: Instra:mental's Nonplus imprint are set to unleash US based producer ASC's debut album, Nothing Is Certain next month but first deliver a three track taster of this highly anticipated LP. "Phobos" sets industrial noises and sparse, dramatic tones as its backdrop but entwines electronic grooves and micro samples over the top to create his unusual but wholly captivating sound. "Oort Cloud" drops out into some cosmic, downtempo atmospheres of weightless space before "Matter of Time" explores wind-like sounds and melodies, deep oceans of bass and his intriguing use of Oriental sounding percussion. Once listen to this will have you holding your breath for July's LP.
Review: Now exclusively helmed by Boddika now that his Instra:mental cohort Jon Convex has moved on with his own Convex Industries imprint, Nonplus enters a new phase of its existence. Those worried that the change in management will mean a dip in quality should rest easy however, as the veteran Canadian producer Basic Soul Unit is tapped up for one of his best releases to date. There's no bells and whistles with these tracks; "Swept Up" revolves around a raw breakbeat and rugged analogue one-note bassline, giving way to a wash of pulsating filtered chords and deep melody, while "Mindstorm" utilises muffled percussion and a sludgy but frenzied acid line, but there's no denying the craftsmanship on display. Not many producers can create techno that's satisfyingly deep and has industrial rhythmic tendencies, but this release positively nails it.
Review: It's been a while between drinks for Alexander Green, who has not released a solo record under the Boddika alias for nearly seven years (his most recent outing was a 2016 collaboration with Joy Orbison). The Walk Talk EP, which marks his return to the Nonplus label he founded 11 years ago, is therefore something of an 'event release' - in certain circles at least. Interestingly, opener 'Walk Talk' is a creepy and clandestine chunk of brooding analogue techno in its most traditional form, while the track that follows, 'Croak', adds buzzing and brain-melting bass to an otherwise similarly moody groove. Over on the flip '808 (Hacked)' doffs a cap to the polyrhythmic techno sparseness of Livity Sound, while 'Metal Forest' is as weird, wonky and mind-altering as they come.
Review: ** Repress ** The first of two 12" samplers heralding the forthcoming Nonplus label compilation Think and Change arrives bearing two heavy hitting tracks not to be found on the compilation proper. On the A-side, Boddika & Joy Orbison's Sunklo hit "Mercy" gets the VIP treatment from Boddika; the result is a peak time tool which strips the original down to its barest components but still maintains the juggernaut-like quality of the original. It's joined by a fresh Kassem Mosse track in the form of "Broken Patterns", a typically tough production from the Bosse which combines and endlessly stomping 4/4 rhythm with cascading string plucks and rattling synth textures.
Review: Those that missed out on Nonplus's blink-and-you'll-miss-it Think & Change boxset now have the chance to grip each of the 12"s in the package individually - though sadly without the bespoke box. The first sees a rare outing for Boddika & Joy O outside of the Sunklo habitat, with "&Fate" delivering a jittery piece of slick tech-house whose surprisingly soulful vocal samples is pulled down with dense beats and pulsing analogue textures. On the flip, Workshop regular Lowtec provides the heads down deep techno business of "The Rhythm (remix 2)", a slow moving combination of sonorous square wave bass and glistening chord textures.
Review: For all his innovation, Burial has historically shied away from delivering full-throttle, mind-altering club bangers. Certainly, we can't remember him serving up anything as rhythmically intense as the two dystopian techno slammers showcased on this 12". Both feature many of his usual sonic trademarks - oodles of vinyl crackle, end-of-days aural textures and creepy ambient electronics - but are underpinned by bombastic 4/4 beats rather than sparse, post-dubstep rhythms. A-side "Pre-Dawn", a dense and incredibly intense affair, is the more energetic and instant of the two, though weirder and looser flipside "Indoors", which contains some pitched-up rave-era vocal samples and woozy riffs amongst its highlights, is also very impressive.
Review: Having announced his new Jon Convex endeavour with two slices of formidable futurism for Martyn's 3024 imprint, Damon Kirkham returns to the familiarity of Non Plus with a double clutch of equally essential productions. Fans of cult TV might recognise the snatch of Badalamenti strings that announce "Radar" in such ominous fashion, though it's they way this element is weaved amidst ever groaning insect like bass and murderous strains of dystopian acid that truly impresses. And of course the brittle click clack of drums that always threatens to smash to pieces. In contrast, "Vacuum States" offers a more optimistic slant on the sci fi electro poise, gradually letting loose a succession of kaleidoscopic synth flutters over the stripped down kick thrust and glooping bass.
Review: OOF! Boddika's Nonplus label just keeps on surprising us with each new release, and it's particularly interesting to hear the man's tastes and inspirations. This time it's Spain's Eduardo De La Calle of Analogue Solutions fame who gets called up to the UK's number one spot for future music, and he's brought four devilish floor cuts along with him, all properly calibrated with that unmistakable machine sound. The tracks are airy, freeform and less rigid compared to De La Calle's previous output and hence perfectly fitting for Al Green's catalogue. Our choice bit has to be "The King Pariksit" for its glitchy approach and broken beat structure. Heavy stuff, this.
Review: In more recent years, Madrid's Eduardo De La Calle has brought us some muscly, steely-eyed techno through his own Analog Solutions imprint, but the artist's reach spans back to the early noughts and to labels such as Hard Fandango and Thump Electroniks, when his particular strain of techno had already been overshadowed by the foreboding minimal wave. However, fine connoisseurs such as Boddika can smell out a real talent and this is why the Nonplus man has decided to release a second EP from the enigmatic producer. Much to the traditional Boddika taste, "Papoose Lake" is a watery piece of atmospheric techno with a driving rhythm; the same can be said about "Groom Lake" even when considering its more molecular approach. Over on the B-side, "SDI" breaks out the jungle loops amid a stop-start technoid rhythm of industrial proportions, and "Sandia Livermore Lab" heads directly to the big room with its effective 4/4 loop and range of organised sonics. BOOM.
Review: Nonplus continue to confound all with their esoteric approach to curation with the debut record from Doubleheart, a collaborative project between Optimo's JD Twitch and bass pioneer Neil Landstrumm. In a year of strong releases from the label, it easily stands out as one of their best; "Salsa" utilises brittle mechanical congas as the rhythmic backbone for the track, but it's the massively oscillating bass and sirens that really make it, being simultaneously huge but also restrained enough to prevent it falling into typical bass tropes. "Ache" meanwhile takes things down a notch with a housier tempo and thick bass slabs which threaten to go into full on acid at times. But it's the echoing vocal fragments and rhythm guitar that fascinate most, joining the dots between the obvious influence of Jamaican dub and contemporary bass.
Review: After taking some time off following the release of last year's acclaimed Nost album, Ellen Allien returns to action. The veteran German DJ/producer is in fine form on this surprise EP for Boddika's inspired Nonplus label. Epic A-side "Take a Stand" is particularly potent with Allien opting to pepper a clanking, distorted, off-kilter broken techno groove with creepy industrial electronics and her own stylish spoken word vocal snippets. It's unfeasibly weighty in the best possible way. Over on side B, "Trigger" sits somewhere between mind-altering Berghain techno and Panoramabar tech-house, while "Flying Objects" is a bubbly and occasionally twisted chunk of alien techno hypnotism.
Review: It seems like you can't move at the moment for erstwhile drum & bass producers experimenting with techno forms, and on this release it's the turn of George Levings, better known to most as Commix, though arriving on Boddika's Nonplus label it isn't quite techno in the strict sense of the word. "Birdhouse" certainly displays some of the rolling rhythmic tendencies and atmospherics of his more familiar genre, but its 130bpm thump has as much in common with Blawan's brooding industrial clatter in tone than anything out of the Metalheadz handbook. The much more languid "DBPLT01" on the other hand lets itself open out slowly like an inky blackness spreading throughout clean water, creating a sinister and all encompassing murk which echoes Kassem Mosse's releases on the same label. In short, another genre smashing essential from Nonplus.
Review: ** REPRESS ** Those that missed out on Nonplus's blink-and-you'll-miss-it Think & Change boxset now have the chance to grip each of the 12"s in the package individually - though sadly without the bespoke box. The second of the individual Think & Change plates sees an unexpected label debut for Four Tet, whose "For These Times" provides his most effective and least fussy club track to date, an infectious combination of rolling percussion, snipped vocals and driving disco-inspired bass. It's a stark contrast to the bleak sci-fi textures of Boddika's "Beats Me", whose cyborg-like monologue is driven forward by broken techno rhythms and shrill metallic tones.
Review: Boddika's Nonplus continues to impress us with its ever evolving direction and surprising array of recruits that still remain in harmony with its modus operandi. After equally surprising yet undoubtedly great releases by Shlomi Aber and Eduardo de la Calle, Berghain and Infrastructure NYC regular Ed Davenport aka Inland steps up; and delivers the goods as always. "Overpass" is a full frontal peak time weapon that reflects his experience playing in the worlds best techno club and brilliantly executed in all its nine minute glory. The title track is more suited for the pre peak time moments; a hypnotic slow burner but still retaining some intensity. Finally "Dromolaxia" is a sturdy and slowly evolving stomper with some real sinister dub chords lurking in the background. Tip.
Review: Alex Green and Damon Kirkham's debut album has been a long time coming. It follows an action-packed decade that's seen them morph from drum & bass punishers to dubstep fusionists and, more recently, bass music experimentalists. With such experience behind them, it's perhaps no surprise that Resolution 653 is an eclectic set. What's more surprising is the expansiveness of their approach. Within the album's 13 tracks lies glass-clear electronic futurism, brain-warping acid tracks, murky dusbtep, slo-mo 4/4 sweetness, hard edged electro bounce, off-kilter IDM and, naturally, 140 BPM bass bangers. As a summary of where British bass music's at in 2011, it's unsurpassed.
Review: Eight years after their ground-breaking "Resolution 653" full length, pioneering duo Instra:mental make a welcome return with their new album Timelines, and this first selection of tunes from it gives you a good idea why. "Pacific Heights" is a jumble of minimal drum beats and futuristic synth smears that is atmospheric, while "Sakura" is more sparse and zoned out thanks to forlorn chords which speak of romantic pain. Things slow down into deep rubbery rhythms on the lush "Photograph" while "End Credits" has an unexpected Balearic vibe to it, with breezy chords making for a mood that feels akin to gazing out to sea.
Review: As Instra:mental's much anticipated new album fast approaches, the instrumental (sorry) electronic duo sate our thirst with a second EP of tracks from it. This time out they kick off with the foreboding minimal rhythms of "Auto Love", which gently rises up and down on a rubbery drum loop. "Elsewhere" is a more tender mood, with 80s chords speaking of a rare vulnerability before order is restored with the prowling kicks and acid modulations of "Encke Gap". Last of all, "More Than" is another sparse but hugely absorbing affair with a gentle sense of hope among distant chords.
Review: Nonplus allow us a peek at what the forthcoming Instra:mental album will sound like and on the evidence of these two tracks it's going to be quite rowdy indeed! "Thomp" was perhaps named in honour of the sensation that hits you as soon as the truly evil juke rhythm finds its place amidst the bass heavy industrial mist. Embellished by loose rackets of percussion, "Thomp" is a thrilling example of how Instra:mental are always looking to flip the sonic script. The flipside presents 'When I Dip", a trip into the swift retro electro territory Addison Groove recently explored on Swamp 81, with a brilliant vocal sample battling it out with rough futurist vibes over crisp 808 rhythms.
Review: The fifth and final Think & Change collects a few tracks that have floating around for some time. Instra:mental & dBridge's "White Snares" has existed since before the Instra:mental name ceased to be a concern last year, and combines the trio's pioneering Autonomic sound with a distinctly 80s-inspired sonic vibe. Martyn's "Bad Chicago" meanwhile has been anticipated since appearing in Pangaea's FACT mix in 2011; in comparison to "White Snares" it shows how far the label has come since 2009, a straight up techno track whose shackling beats are balanced with some rather subtle and twinkling melodies.
Review: Just when you thought you had Al Bleek and Damon Drama's Non Plus sorted, they go and make a sharp diversion and take you somewhere completely different. The destination? LOL. And no, that's not a joke. A teaser for their forthcoming album Me Me, the tracklist reads a little like an Alice In Wonderland list of instructions or perhaps a seductive dance; "Squeeze Me" kicks off with sinuous R&B style vocals and enticing synths with a slow, lolhloping half step rhythm, which inevitably drags you in deep like a tidal current of sound, while "Face Me" follows a languid 4/4 drum pattern drenched in late night synths. "Dare Me", up next, mirrors the sonic palette with shimmering, spaced out atmospherics and more glorious, syrup sweet lyrics. Visceral and rather enthralling, it bears the hallmarks of nocturnal dance music with throbbing b-line and infectious, enveloping synth-work, but with an underlying pop/R&B sensibility that shines through the darkness. Crackly, droning atmospherics sit beneath ice cold bleeps on finale "White Noise". A far cry from much of the recent Non Plus output for sure, but a remarkable release nonetheless which we urge you to get your teeth into.
Review: Mildly mysterious London trio LOL are an odd proposition. Their sound, in particular, is hard to pin down, coming on like a trip-hop head's take on dubstep-pop after an hour or two in the studio with Instra:Mental. At times, this debut album is mournful and introspective (the guitar-laden "Dare Me", the swirling "VHS"), at others forceful and mildly threatening ("Hello Hell", "Pinch Me"). It's also occasionally scratchily upbeat ("Squeeze Me"), and sometimes sounds like a 21st century bass head's take on Moloko ("Faze Me", "Quarter Life Crisis"). At first, this fusion of styles and influences is slightly unsettling, but Me Me will quickly grow on you. It's certainly a promising debut.
Review: After the fantastic Wonderkidd 12" released on Nonplus earlier this year, Lowtec returns to the label with another fine EP of shuffling deep house. If the previous 12" seemed to explore the darker corners of his creaking brand of house music, then "Coldred" which dominates the A-Side is somewhat lighter by comparison. Built around a simple one note bassline and regular handclap, it is nevertheless devastating, especially when its rippling arpeggio begins at the half way point. On the flip "Darrynane" is a 100bpm jam with a killer organ melody bubbling beneath the surface and a chord sequence that brings warmth to the heavily mechanical percussive tics, while closing proceedings "Twizel" brings things back up to 120, for a another deep groover which takes things back into the darkness, with a soft bassline swathed in surreal and alienating synth melodies that can only be described as Lynchian.
Review: German maverick Kassem Mosse - a purveyor of the deep, ambient side of techno and house by trade - is certainly an interesting character. His sound is dipped in a distinctly European aesthetic, and here he goes in on a deep, experimental tip for a release on increasingly eclectic Instra:mental owned label, Non Plus. "We Speak To Those" begins with the thumping pound of marching drum beats, like hob nail boots trudging down a tarmac path. An organic flow of sound is sustained masterfully, with a hint of Autechre in there, and a pervasive sense of drift as sounds entwine themselves around the steady paced tempo, coming in and out of focus like wind down a tunnel. "Hi Res", up next, completes the package, with a tripping, tribal pattering intro, with a warm, evocative background hinted at behind the hyperactive kinetics of this immense soundscape.
Joy Orbison - "Big Room" (tech house DJ tool - TIP!)
Kassem Mosse - "IP Mirrors"
Review: Although this fourth Think & Change plate features the esteemed Kassem Mosse, whose "IP Mirrors" is a suitably creepy piece of whirring, stumbling techno, adorned with intricately textured synth textures, it was only ever going to be about the A-side. Joy Orbison's Hardwax-referencing "Big Room Tech House DJ Tool Tip!" has being doing damage in clubs for several months now, and anyone who's heard it on a suitable system will know how its wonky low-end and unexpectedly brilliant vocal sample have the tendency to turn your knees to jelly. This track is not available digitally - don't sleep!
Review: The third Think & Change plate is very much a game of two halves; Pearson Sound's "Quivver" is a marked progression from his Hessle Audio outing last year, combining D&B-like rhythm mechanics centred around the 130 zone with punishing bass weight and dramatic synth sweeps, it explodes into life with a final third of ping-pong sounds that bounce like they're trapped in a vacuum chamber. Endian's "Straight Intention" is relaxed in comparison, a mid-tempo house jam coated in dark, cavernous atmospherics that belie his drum and bass background.
Don't Stop, No Sleep (Roman Poncet & DJ Deep remix) (6:55)
Review: With releases this year from Skudge, Eduardo De La Calle, Redshape, Blawan (remixing Source Direct), and Shlomi Aber, its fair to say Nonplus have been attacking the form of techno from various angles. This latest 12" finds Boddika returning to a 2014 Nonplus highlight, Radio Slave's "Don't Stop, No Sleep" and enlist a trio of current techno heavyweights to remix it. Robert Hood understandably takes centre stage with an A Side effort that is classic booming, hypnotic techno in the M-Plant mould - definitely one for the big rooms! On the flip, Tale Of Us take the track into more pared back, spectral territory whilst Tresor pair Roman Poncet & DJ Deep rival Hood's effort with a full throttle remix.
Review: ** REPRESS ** On the surface of things it may seem like Boddika's Nonplus label has engaged curveball mode with the signing of Rekids boss Radio Slave for its first record in over a year, but the approach of the two heads, who both like their beats rolling and their bass dense, have much in common. "Don't Stop No Sleep" is about as high grade as tech house gets, showing the pretenders how its done with its loopy vocal and firm grasp of rhythmic mechanics - it even comes in acapella version for creative mixing. "War Dub (version 2)" is much more cybernetic in its approach, as steely textures and a bleepy lead take things into hypnotic yet alienating territory, while the "Nightmare mix" of the title track provides a disorientating club cut whose subtle shuffling rhythms belie their impact. Essential.
Review: The masked wonder returns after some time spent away with a new two track throwdown for Nonplus. After last year saw a pair of 12"s drop on Running Back, it's been a fairly quiet time in the world of Redshape, but he comes to Boddika's label with his surefire analogue intent intact, dropping a pair of assured club jams oozing with warmth and funk. "I Feel Like Riot" rumbles along on a crunchy set of percussion, around which wobbling LFOs of bass and plush synth hits spiral outwards in a fine Motor City tradition. "The Rift" meanwhile drops a slick set of conga-enhanced drum science with a different salvo of thick, throbbing melodic twists for the sleazy end of the dance.
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