Spectrums Data Forces - "Darkness In My Head" (6:04)
EC13 - "Profundo" (Interludio) (0:49)
Wicked Wes - "X1000" (feat Space Frogs From Saturn) (5:48)
Review: Granada's Cosmic Tribe know the definition of "electro" in its broadest sense; their new Xtrictly Electro comp keeps the dystopian sound endemic to the genre's most present incarnation, but refuses to restrict itself to one tempo: the standard 130-ish that has sadly infected the otherwise genius genre as a necessity. An international splinter cell of spec-ops and mercenaries are recalled from retirement here, as we hear Calagad 13, Nachtwald, EC13 and many more mechanoid ilk lay down all manner of slick utilities, making up a morbid multi-tool. 5zyl brings further lasery Lithuanian steeze on 'Vilnius Bass', whilst Spectrums Data Forces betrays the existence of a sinister corporate entity, whose business model works towards the object of instilling 'Darkness In My Head' through giant, killer mozzy basses.
Review: Dookuzot is the entrancing debut from Floid & W92 aka Woody92, and it's released on their own Omen Wapta imprint. Across eight tracks, they craft a labyrinthine soundscape full of shadowy textures, tribal rhythms and eerie, dissonant tones that feels both ancient and futuristic-an ambient-techno blend that channels family history into sonic myth-making. Standout 'Maushe' hints at dancefloor tension, while 'Veriyou' is seriously deep and heady as part of what is a haunting, high-definition journey through imagined realms and moody post-human worlds.
Review: Missile Vintage deploys a sixth sizzling techno weapon here and it comes from the studio of Damon Wild and Tim Taylor who combine in electric fashion. 'Band The Acid' really does that. It is cantering, hi-octane techno with lashings of wet 303 lines that flash about the mix like an untethered hose. Add in some slamming analogue drums and eye-watering percussion and you have pure club dynamite. The DJ Dextro remix does nothing to offer you respite and is just as much of a caustic and timeless acid techno classic.
Review: Bristol-based Will You (AKA Oleeva label founder Will Spence) is finally ready to make his vinyl bow, with fast-rising Berlin imprint Stolar the lucky label handling the imprint. He begins in predictably confident mood with 'Sante', a deeply swirling, psychedelic and immersive slab of hypno-house wrapped in waves of TB-303 acid insanity, before treating us to the unsettling off-kilter tech-house wonkiness of 'Is It 2 Late?' Over on the reverse side, both cuts are given the remix treatment. Lb Honne re-frames 'Is It 2 Late?' as a smoother and more intergalactic-sounding chunk of deep tech-house, while Orion turns 'Sante' into a field recordings and effects-laden ambient techno shuffler.
Review: After initially reserving much of his music for his own Tartan label, Wallace has been on plenty of fine sojourns to other top labels of late including CWPT's from Palms Trax, Studio Barnhus and Rhythm Section. Now he makes his biggest statement yet with a double album on Mule Musiq that draws on everything in his arsenal. His deft melodic touch and innocent synth work defines the first couple of clean and airy cuts while his knack for an unusual rhythm defines the loopy and hypnotic 'Midnight On The Mountain,' 'By The River' is a gorgeous deep house cut with eastern melodies and 'Bubbles' is pure dreaming material for zoned out sessions. A fine work from the talented Wallace.
Holographic (Carl Craig Ride Or Die anthem) (7:18)
(Re)Evolution (Jon Dixon remix) (7:01)
Second Wave (Steve Rachmad remix) (6:12)
Universal Language (Claude Young remix) (5:35)
Immersion (Stephen Brown remix) (6:47)
Second Wave (John Beltran Pan Am remix) (7:44)
Second Wave (Stephen Lopkin remix) (6:52)
Metamorphosis (Shawn Rudiman remix) (6:17)
Review: Vince Watson released the DnA album in 2019, and now he's revisiting it for a bumper remix package from a frankly dizzying cadre of producers. First up is Carl Craig, who takes 'Ride Or Die' in predictably epic, soaring directions before Jon Dixon lays his ebullient, melodious touch over '(RE)volution'. Steve Rachmad whips up a tight and punchy strain of techno while re-versioning 'Second Wave', and Claude Young takes a delicate approach to 'Universal Language'. Stephen Brown creates a brooding, Detroit indebted mood on his mix of 'Immersion', John Beltran goes predictably far out with 'Second Wave' before Stephen Lopkin's own dreamy, sky-scraping take on the track. Shawn Rudiman completes this all-star cast with a supercharged, uplifting techno workout as he re-interprets 'Metamorphosis'. If you like classically-informed techno, you can't pass up this sterling package.
Review: Wave Arising is former Spiral Tribe man Sebastian Vaughan with vocalist Kynsie and they are a duo that likes to eplxore body, mind and soul "through intuitive listening of senses and inner energies by means of music , workshops and gatherings." This is their debut album and is an otherworldly mix of deep grooves and occult sonic landscapes. It has been made from various improvisations and avoids there use of sampling and as an album, this is one that feels very much alive. There are cinematic dub techno workouts, cascading synths and alien sound designs, menacing low ends and moments of majestic melodic beauty such as on 'Ronde Cinetique'. A brilliant debut.
Review: BertBert's boundary-free TOPO imprint returns with a fascinating body of work from one of his nearest and dearest influences; Windu. A collection honed from hundreds of sketches, grooves and soundscapes written over the last eight years, Juxtapose is a beguiling blend of ambient textures, gritty technoid grooves and thunderous showers of breaks. At points bubbling with aggy rave energy ('Deck 16'), at others entirely disarming and likely to knock you horizontal ('Ti Si Isceljenje'), Windu (which stands for wave is not defined) has a refreshing ability to completely negate DJ formula, arrangement and genre trappings. A debut dispatch built up over years before unleashed into the wild on vinyl, this is a truly unique album.
Review: A deeply mysterious label from Barcelona, Withhold specialise in impactful trance-breaks and IDM that tend towards the vanguard, prioritising "hidden artists" whose proclivites might not be so self-promoting. This self-effacing, anonymizing tendency in dance music is often indicative of good quality, especially when done for the right reasons. It's not really something you can work out rationally, in fact; you just have to go by your best senses. And we get a good vibe from Withhold, not least from this latest long-player of curious, gushy delights. We're not sure which artists (whether individual or many) lie behind each track, but perhaps this rejection of authorship encourages deeper listening: highlights include the cleverly tricksy 'Achanhuwlmx' and the quaintly-imaged 'Order Of 11'. This album is best received by the listener at its most emotive, most cascading moments.
Review: Peak Oil welcomes UK duo Wrecked Lightship for 'Antiposition', a debut EP on the label from the pair of Laurie Osborne (once known as Appleblim) and Adam Winchester aka Dot Product. The pair refine their sound and bring a range of innovative rhythms here with elements of dub, d&b, tribal sounds and deft sound design across hard-to-define cuts. 'Hex' is a cosmic broken techno trip, 'Bizarre Servants' is a slower and heavier dub and 'Sunken Skies' is prickly and kinetic as it flirts with live sounding drum & bass tropes and 'Diminished Ark' as well as with wispy sine waves, refracted melodies and barely there rhythms.
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