Platform 23 Schallplatten & CDs

Review: REPRESS ALERT: It's been a while since we saw a decent reissue of material relating to Psychick Warriors Of Gaia, and no doubt there's plenty of great material to mine out there. Thankfully Platform 23 are on hand and turning their attention to Robbert Heynen's work as Exquisite Corpse, which peaked in the early to mid-'90s. Drawing on a range of EPs from that time, Between Rhythms I is loaded with heady, psychedelic fare hovering in a liminal zone between primal techno, proto trance and something more mystical altogether. "Inner Rhythm (Higher World Mix)" is a prime candidate for wigged-out dance moves and eyes-closed reveries, while "Kupuri" takes things slower and deeper. "X-Out" is a minimalist, rugged, acid-flecked beast, and "Sitting In A Tree (Time Flies)" presents the kind of off-kilter techno you might expect to hear from Terrence Dixon.

Review: Following the excellent first installment of archival material from former Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia's Robbert Heijnen, Platform 23 return with another four stunning digs from the vaults that further flesh out the mysterious allure of this singular artist and his peak early 90s era. "Shadow Play" manages to be many things at once - bumping late 80s deep house, dubby rhythm study, spine-tingling proto trance, and much more besides. "What A Life" has a more techno-minded tint to its programming and sequencing, but it's still definitely on the eyes-closed trip-out trajectory as it snakes its way through thick plumes of pad. "Sacrifice" puts rattling percussion at the front of the mix to create an exotic, outernational feel, and "Tepu" takes things heavier with a submerged tribal beat underpinning a murky low end throb and dubby processing.

Review: Platform 23's celebration of Exquisite Corpse wraps up with this fourth installment of visionary proto trance bubblers from the dream team of Robbert Henyen, Debbie Jones and Tim Freeman. As with the previous installments, they've picked choice tracks from across the spectrum of the PWOG-affiliated project's output, kicking off with a transmission from the debut release, "Honeymoon". Throughout the mood is loose and wigged-out, with a pleasant stew of New Beat, acid, house, trance and dub among the core ingredients flavouring this thoroughly early 90s dish. This is psychedelic dance music crafted before the genre boundaries were established to ruin everyone's fun - savour the vibe as we return to more freewheeling times once more.

Review: Platform 23 continue to explore the illustrious, intriguing archives of Exquisite Corpse with a third installment of early 90s gold. There's a pronounced trance edge to Robbert Heynen's productions here, all captured in that heady period between 1992 and 1994 when the tag stood for some of the trippiest dance music you could hope to get lost in. "Point Zero" is a forthright stomper laden with lysergic tones that morph and modulate over the driving rhythm section. "B K S" sports a jazzier tone that aligns it more with deep house than trance, but it's still geared towards maximum immersion. "Traditional Ties With Dreaming" is a more angular piece that emphasises interlocking percussive rhythms with a tribal techno bent, and "Elevator" rounds things off with a swooning slice of impeccable ambient techno.

Review: Once again diving into the mysterious electronics of decades past, Platform 23 strike gold with this cult release from short-lived Canadian duo Vini Vidi Vici. In its original form this 1989 private press mini-album emerged from the Montreal underground with a prescient take on house and more experimental minimal wave fare - it's no surprise original copies fetch hefty prices in the second hand market. From the psyched-out house thrum of "Club Stuff" to the percussive bounce of "Vini Vidi Vici" and the more madcap sample juggling of "Ou Sommes Nous?" this is a killer record unbound by scenes or trends - just pure, primal hardware experimentation.