Album Review
Miss Kitten & The Hacker – Two | Album Review
Friday, May 1st, 2009 | Album Review | No Comments
Miss Kitten is another artist who I find chalk and cheese. On one hand she’s come out with some great electronic tracks yet on the other she’s come out with some cheese melody laden tracks where she insists she must sing over. Her latest offering with The Hacker is no different.
On this album the duo aim for a futuristic space aged sound dipping into the cyber-pop and techno territories. Ironically the sounds they use have an old school feel to them with Moroder synths, 80s synth pop melodies and electrobreak beats. Headline track 1000 Dreams has a great synth pop hook to it and Miss Kittens vocals balance the track out with the soaring futuristic strings. It’s slightly corny, but it’s catchy so I’ll give her that.
Then you have Pppo, a mechanical chugging electroclash track. It has some great muted beats with spacey sonar bleeps and mechanical valve noises. Add to that some nicely placed vocals from Miss Kitten and you’ve got yourself a good stripped back bleepy number.
In Flagranti – Brash and Vulgar | Album Review
Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 | Album Review, Music | No Comments
What do you get when you have an image of 70s porn and wipe it all over house, disco, punk, funk and glam rock? A crusty white tissue and tight glitter trousers? Probably. With In Flagranti the result is Brash and Vulgar, their follow up to 2006’s Wronger Than Anyone Else.
You may ask what 70s porn crossed with music sounds like. Well it’s quite infectious and definitely a bit quirky. The Italo Disco influenced “I Can Thrill & Delight” completely embodies this. The smutty vocals from Tatiana Ilinas gives the track a minxy attitude whilst the off key chimes and horse claps give it that quirky wonkiness. Odd but undeniably catchy.
In the same catchy category is the funk strutting “A Piece of False Morality”. It’s pumped up disco lines and funk rhythms give it such a hook for the insect life spanning two minutes it has you bouncing off the walls. Then you have title track Brash and Vulgar. Its Giorgio Moroder styled synth and disco samples has a great vintage quality yet sounds quite modern in the nu rave house realm.But its not just all disco and funk. The boys throw a curve ball with Svelte Blonde, a sultry glam rock track which has smoking Goldfrapp style vocals.
However the itchy energy of the first part of the album soon fizzles out however with the later half flagging with a series of tracks made up of monotonous cosmic loops. Which is a shame to end an album with such a promising start with its humour, energy and cheekiness which made it blushingly charming.
Buy In Flagranti – Brash and Vulgar on Mp3
Tracklist:
1. She bend each leg alternatly
2. Brash & Vulgar
3. A little something “Extra”
4. I can thrill & delight
5. A piece of false morality
6. Black & grey stripped trousers
7. Svelte blonde
8. Pick a trick
9. It was like nothing before or since
10. I hadn’t screwd around before
11. Ohh, i’ll have to loose weight luv
12. How did the affair end?
Omar S – Fabric 45 | Album Review
Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 | Album Review | No Comments
For the past few years Omar S has been releasing his unadulterated music across the world with the kind of swagger and disregard for everything else that only Detroit musicians can do. With Omar S there are no techno cliques, he’s just a guy that works at the Ford factory by day and at night he produces his own brand of luscious deep music at the same rate as a factory. His label FXHE is completely independent, releasing and distributing his music across the world from his lowly basement in Detroit. All this makes Omar S a definite character. God, he’s so out there he doesn’t even known who Ricardo Villalobos is.
For Fabric 45, he goes and does a Villalobos by mixing up a compilation of self penned works. But lets not worry about the technicalities of whom done what first, the real question is, is it any good? I’m happy to say the answer to that is a resounding yes. His Fabric 45 drifts you away on a sea of electronic synths following a natural current which casually floats you from one track to the next.
The mix weights itself around the focal point of Omar S’ synonymous Psychotic Photosynthesis. Each track from the very beginning edges towards the pinnacle in a fluid and organic manner. In the opening moments Strider’s World combines a haunting organ with 8bit gameboy sounds sets the mix up with an edgy tension before allowing the flood gates to open up to the warm deep synths of Detroit. The luscious melodies of Oasis Four, Crusin Conant and U are tightly intertwined and all reservedly controlled leading into 1 Out of 853 Beats which strips back to bare beats to set up the phenomenal release of Psychotic Photosynthesis’ resonant bassline. Its plunge into the emotive melodies is definitely the pinnacle of the mix.
From there the mix unravels out through various flavours, dicing between soulful numbers such as Set Me Out and the brilliant Day through to the spooky spaced out Blade Runner. And before you know it you’ve arrived at the end.
It’s such a strange mix; the progression is so gradual that any other mix would be considered boring. Yet with this mix the minute details keep you tied in, with wave after wave of intricacy and a build of so much purpose it just never gets tired. I’ve already listened to it countless times and I reckon you will too.
Buy Omar S – Fabric 45 on CD
Tracklisting:
01 Omar-S – Polycopter – FXHE Music
02 Omar-S – Flying Gorgars – FXHE Music
03 Omar-S – Strider’s World – FXHE Music
04 Omar-S – Oasis Four – FXHE Music
05 Omar-S – Crusin Conant – FXHE Music
06 Omar-S – U – FXHE Music
07 Omar-S – Oasis 13 ½ – FXHE Music
08 Omar-S – 1 Out Of 853 Beats – FXHE Music
09 Omar-S – Simple Than Sorry – FXHE Music
10 Omar-S – Psychotic Photosynthesis – FXHE Music
11 Omar-S – The Maker – FXHE Music
12 Omar-S – A Victim – FXHE Music
13 Omar-S – Oasis One – FXHE Music
14 Omar-S – Blade Runner – FXHE Music
15 Omar-S – Day – FXHE Music
16 Omar-S – Set Me Out – FXHE Music
AGF/Delay – Symptoms | Album Review
Monday, March 9th, 2009 | Album Review, Music | No Comments
Symptoms is the new album from AGF and Delay on the formidable BPitch Control. You may recall that AGF was the co-producer of Ellen Allien’s Sool album from last year. Here at EarPipe we raved about that album in a length post here. So expectations were high of AGF to combine her poetic talents with the sparse and diverse production skills of her husband Vladislav Delay.
Symptoms has all the similar elements that made Sool a good album. However AGF and Delay fail to make the same recipe rise in the oven. The same raw and industrial electronic sounds found on Sool buzz and whirr through out Symptoms, yet they seem to lack the coherence or direction to formulate a structure to really hit a chord with the listener. The overall experience is pretty blasé with few moments to take notice of.
That’s not to say the whole album is completely throw away. The pulsating track Most Beautiful brilliantly captures the essence of slow motion in sound as AGF repeats the simple lyrics in a softly spoken voice. Bells and drum hits fade in and out in a kind of Doppler effect to paint an illusion of time slowing down which I guess is what happens when you see the “most beautiful thing” according to the lyrics? The other track worth a mention is Connection. Another slow RnB paced number with syncopated percussion and fuzzy yet bright layers of synths create a Bjork like atmosphere.
Apart from that, unfortunately the album just doesn’t strike a chord. Which is a shame as much was expected from AGF since her effort on Ellen’s Sool.
Buy AGF/Delay – Symptoms on CD
Tracklisting:
01. Get Lost
02. Connection
03. Downtown Snow
04. Outbreak
05. Bulletproof
06. Generic
07. Congo Hearts
08. Most Beautiful
09. Symptoms
10. Smileaway
11. Second Life
12. In Cycles
Syntheme – Lasers ‘N’ Shit | Album Review
Saturday, February 7th, 2009 | Album Review | No Comments
Lasers N Shit is the third release and first album from Syntheme on the infamous Planet Mu. Syntheme unleashes 20 tracks dripping in old skool 303 acid harking back to the late 80s/early 90s rave scene. There’s a hell of a lot to get through on this album, but Syntheme explores all the routes where a 303 can take you. Opening track Mimtro rummages around the gentler side of a 303 with soft vocal backings to compliment the round acid bassline. Whilst tracks like Hard and Final with their pounding beats and crunchy acid lines give the album a proper acid techno work out. There are a few departures from the full on 303 workout but third track Red nicely works in a disco sample with a subtle squelchy backing to show the range that Sytheme can go. And then there are some classic acid cuts with tracks Qarth and Frf3k Up! with its classic percussion and heavy resonance working.
Telefon Tel Aviv – Immolate Yourself | Album Review
Sunday, January 18th, 2009 | Album Review | No Comments
Telefon Tel Aviv a US duo from Chicago, Illinois deliver their third album on the eclectic but very electronic BPitch Control. Coming off the back of supporting Matthew Dear on his US tour, their new album Immolate Yourself looks to redefine Electro/Synth Pop for 2009.
Immolate Yourself is an album of diverse and intelligent textured synth layers which soar and swerve through many emotional states. Opening track The Birds is a bright and breathy track where intertwining synths glide through epic skylines to create a beautiful and warm opener.
The diversity of Telefon Tel Aviv’s range is instantly proven with the following track Your Mouth showing the darker, melancholic side. They use sinister synths layered with melancholic strings through a long chord progression to create a slow and atmospheric movement reminiscent of the darker side of Depeche Mode.
John Tejada – Fabric 44 | Album Review
Sunday, January 11th, 2009 | Album Review, Music | 1 Comment
I always thought John Tejada was from Spain or somewhere quite Mediterranean but it turns out he’s from the west side, more specifically Los Angeles. Which kind of figures as his productions whilst sounding quite European always stood out from the rest. His sound is difficult to pin down. Whilst it would often be stripped back in a European way, at the same time it would be full sounding and raw.
Tejada’s Fabric 44 mix follows in the same mentality, pulsating in waves of stripped back dub goodness and raw twisted mechanical sounds. Tejada would often lead in with subdued dub influenced tracks such as Pigon’s Kamm, Equalised 001’s rattling percussion or ’08 favourite Wax1001 before allowing a swell of twisted electronic noises to take the forefront. Tracks such as Namlook’s Subharmonic Atoms and the brooding nature of Alex Cortez’s Phlogiston or Tejada and Maxwell’s very own Benus Boats is like a pressure release of pent-up techno anger. Once the electroncia wave is unleashed Tejada settles back down reducing the flow to simple loops, positioning himself to pounce again like a cat. It’s a concept that works well and Tejada’s execution is flawless. He even elegantly slots in Orbital classic Farenheit 303 in amongst Tejada’s pseudo acid house.
Although this is a well executed and thought out mix, I’m in two minds about my final opinion. On some listens I find the CD a little dull, whilst on other listens I find it exciting and fascinating. Its strange how this CD polarises my opinion. The only reason that I can think of is due to the twisted electronica elements. I guess sometimes they just rub me up the wrong way putting me off the mix whilst on other listens they don’t seem so brash fitting well into the mix. But if you’re all for twisted mechanical electronic sounds all the time I’m sure you’ll find this mix a pleasure to listen to all the time. So it’s a divided thumbs up from me.
Buy John Tejada Fabric 44 on CD
Tracklist (Click for MP3):
1. Dave Hughes – Let’s Do It
2. Pigon – Kamm
3. Namlook – Subharmonic Atoms
4. Donnacha Costello – Colorseries Olive B
5. WAX – WAX10001
6. Nekes – Cristal
7. Alex Cortez – Phlogiston EP
8. Palette All-Stars – Downtown Hotel
9. Palette All-Stars – After School Special
10. EQD – Equalized001
11. John Tejada & Justin Maxwell – Benus Boats
12. John Tejada & Arian Leviste – M Track 1
13. Orbital – Fahrenheit 303
14. John Tejada – Torque
15. M-Core – Be Gene
16. John Tejada & Arian Leviste – Forbidden Planet
17. Substance – Relish (Shed Remix)
18. Spooky – Candy
19. John Tejada – The Open
20. LJ Kruzer – Huba (Plaid’s 15 Years Lost Remix)
Sinden – FabricLive 43 | Album Review
Saturday, December 6th, 2008 | Album Review, Music | No Comments
Chances are if you’re older than 25 you might not have heard of this guy called Sinden. But for the past couple of years he and Switch have been getting the kids hooked into dance music. For a while it was looking like dance music in general was going to stagnate with an ageing crowd and no fresh blood since guitars made a come back. What happened is that the kids have just mashed it all together creating this danceable urban come indie sound. One slice of this pie is the sound put out by Sinden and the like. The sound is upbeat and littered with big drops and huge build ups. There are vocals, plenty of are wooshy noises and bleeps. It has urban influences yet is distinctly dance music. I’m not sure if this sound has a name. Some call it fidget house, others bassline. I’m not down with it enough to know what it is, but it seems like it’s a big amalgamation of everything.
His Fabric Live 43 release dots around through bleepy house, dub step and Baltimore breaks/Ghetto tech with a dash of 80s kitsch and a big dollop of acid house rave. It’s an interesting mix which is big on excitement. At times I’m thinking it’s extremely corny. The hip house style rap and vocals on the opening track is cringey but then it’s not supposed to be serious. It’s supposed to be easily accessible and danceable with no qualms about being underground.
There is a big afro Caribbean influence going on. Tracks like African Chant, Luanda Lisboa and Secousse bring in the frivolous fun of carnival and many of the other tracks have that Baltimore breaks rhythm. When it’s not the bouncy fun of the afro carribean tracks it’s the deep dark resonating sounds of dub step. Tracks from Skream, Caper, Joker and JME provide a momentary break in the high octane pace.
Another sound which Sinden is pushing is the comeback of garage under its cunningly rebranded name of bassline house. Sinden drops big wobbly basslines and pitched up vocals to a pacey 4/4 garage beat which is silly in every way possible, yet it is foolishly charming. You can see why the kids love it.
So the question is, is this CD any good. I’m afraid it’s a split decision. Its noisy brash beats and bleeps for me are you too in your face. The music is pretty obvious in its quest to excite the listener yet I find myself enjoying it the more I listen to it. Like I said before it’s supposed to be accessible danceable music leaving any snobbery at the door and Sinden has definitely done this.
Buy Sinden FabricLive 43 on CD
Tracklist (Click for MP3s):
1. Juiceboxxx And Dre Skull – Center Stage (Vicious Pop Records)
2. Yo Majesty – Club Action (Domino Records)
3. Aquasky Ft. Acafool – Have A Good Time (The Count & Sinden Mix) (Passenger)
4. Armand Van Helden – This Aint Hollywood (Southern Fried)
5. Scottie B And King Tutt – African Chant (Unruly)
6. Mujava – Township Funk (Sinden Remix) (This Is Music)
7. Tigerstyle Ft. Vybz Kartel, Mangi Mahal + Nikitta – Balle! Shava! (Sinden Remix) (Nachural)
8. Mixhell – Highly Explicit (Brodinski Remix) (BOYZNOIZE Recordings)
9. Buraka Som Sistema – Luanda – Lisboa (Fabric London)
10. Radioclit – Secousse (Instrumental Version) (Mental Groove)
11. Alan Braxe Ft. Killa Kella & Fallon – Nightwatcher (Show Me) (Instrumental) (Eye Industries)
12. Double S & True Tiger – From Day (True Tiger/Always) * Joker ‘Gully Brook Lane’ (Terrorrhythm)
13. JME – AWOH (Boy Better Know)
14. Skream – Fick (Tempa)
15. Zomby – Strange Fruit (Ramp)
16. Caper – Hybrid (Studio Rockers)
17. Project Bassline – Drop The Pressure (The Count & Sinden Remix) (Cheap Thrills)
18. Piddy Py – Giggle Riddim (Dress To Sweat)
19. Roisin Murphy – Overpowered (Hervé And Roisin In The Secret Garden Mix) (EMI)
20. Machines Don’t Care – Beat Bang (Machines Don’t Care)
21. Kudu – Let’s Finish (Sinden Remix) (Nublu)
22. M 83 – Couleurs (Gooom Disques)
23. SALEM ‘Redlights’ (Acephale Records)
Soma Compilation 2008 | Album Review
Saturday, December 6th, 2008 | Album Review, Music | No Comments
Soma helps us to reminisce about the past year with their annual Soma Compilation. It’s a pretty simple concept; Soma put the highlights of the past year on a small disc of plastic. If only life was as simple.
Unfortunately the compilation isn’t mixed. It would have been interesting to hear the full coloured spectrum of Soma mixed together in a multicoloured epic journey. Instead they’ve plumbed for the unmixed variety which in a way is useful for all the DJs out there catching up on tunes in one big go.
So what’s the track selection like? It’s a bit hit and miss, although it is more hit than miss. Prime examples being Adam Beyer’s mix of Slam’s Staccato Rave is a stuttered orgy of whirring noises; enough to kick start any CD, whilst Orlando Voorn’s remix is a beautiful unravelling track of blossoming electronic layers. On the other hand Robert Hood revives the Black Dog track Train by the Autobahn Pt2 by violently shaking it so all the reverberating synth stabs echo out at the pace and rhythm of a train. And new boys Xpansul and Massi DL have a jittery new school techno workout with their track Nerd Soul. So some great hits there.
Then there are the nearly hits. Mark Broom’s version of Lets Go Outside Girls Don’t Like Me isn’t a bad reinterpretation its just a bit too conservative whilst I think the Mr Copy remix would have been more interesting on this compilation. Also nearly a hit is Onionz remix of Funk D’Void’s Ginebra. Whilst raw and heavy with its spacious percussion and growling bassline its still doesn’t hit home for me.
Which brings us onto the not so great. There’s only really two tracks I’m not particularly feeling. First is Vector Lover’s Raumklang. Its spacey synths and excessive layers is just too flowery in its approach. This maybe a personal thing though as I’ve never been the biggest Vector Lovers fan. Second is the noisy Minerva by My Copy. Basically its too noisy with its wobbly alarm come buzz. Noisy is not necessarily a bad thing, its just this is clichéd noisy techno.
Apart from those two gripes this is not a bad package. It’s a great way to catch up on Soma tunes and pick up a good package if you don’t have many of the tracks on there.
Buy Soma Compilation 2008 on CD
Tracklist (Click for MP3 Release):
01. Slam – Staccato Rave (Adam Beyer Remix)
02. Octogen – The Journeyman (Orlando Voorn Remix)
03. Beroshima – Horizon (Funk D’Void’s Hope Remix)
04. Funk D’Void & Sian – Ginebra (Onionz Corrosion Remix)
05. The Black Dog- Train By The Autobhan Pt2 (DJ Remix By Robert Hood)
06. Vector Lovers – Raumklang
07. Let’s Go Outside – Girls Don’t Like Me (Mark Broom Remix)
08. Xpansul + Massi DL – Nerd Soul
09. Mr Copy – Minerva
10. Decimal – Eleanor
11. Harvey McKay – 69
12. Silicone Soul – The Pact (Bassline Dub)
Phantom Power – Patterns | Album Review
Saturday, November 22nd, 2008 | Album Review, Music | No Comments
If the more pounding side of techno is your thing then Phantom Power’s Pattern might be for you. Personally I’m a bit partial to the sound, stuff such as the original minimal stylings from the likes of Robert Hood or the fuller sound of Adam Beyer have tickled my fancy for pumping fists with my top off on the dancefloor. With Patterns it is a bit hit or miss on whether it gets those hands moving.
Panawave is one track that does. Its niggly synth lines with spacious percussion and growling bass is nothing short of epic techno. Jesus Juice similarly conveys a similar level of excitement with its train chugging beats and Detroit style layers. However tracks like Space In Your Face and the similarly named Mace In Your Face are devoid of anything interesting. Decondition is nearly attention grabbing and would probably be in the right setting but listening at home it just doesn’t seem emphatic enough.
Overall an average release.
Buy Phantom Power – Patterns on (CD)
1. Space In Your Face
2. Soda Cans
3. Panawave
4. Acid Uber Alles
5. Jesus Juice
6. Can-D/Chew-Z
7. Mace In Your Face
8. Deconditioning
9. Dollar and a Dream
Chris Coco – Big Freeze Vol.3 | Album Review
Saturday, November 22nd, 2008 | Album Review, Music | No Comments
Chris Coco of Radio 1 Blue Room fame delivers the third instalment of Platipus’ Big Freeze series. You may ask what’s the difference between the recently released Art of Chill series and this? Well it seems that the Art of Chill is more ambient chill this is more eclectic chill? Confused? I was slightly. But it does make some sense.
The first CD sits in the realm of lounge and disco, you’ve got the likes of Prins Thomas, Lindstrom, Quiet Village and the excellent Hercules and the Love Affair all featuring. Overall it is relaxed with a moderate groove where you’re not going to be bouncing off the walls but rather sinking into a comfy chair doing some serious head nodding.
The second CD really is eclectic cycling through more genres than your local HMV. It starts with some real laid back minimal house in the form of Loco Dice’s M Train to Brooklyn before darting in to some heavy dub flavours such as Allez Allez’s African Queen. Then before you can even finish that spliff and don your Rasta hat from ‘that’ Amsterdam trip, Mr Coco has made a cut into some soothing folk music. Part O’Brien’s Will You Be There is a particularly beautiful piece.
A few tracks down the line and the recently praised Melankoli by Lulu Rouge brings us back to minimal with a slight dub twist before heading into some traditional ambient to round off a CD that is varied and refreshing. It is relaxing, but its not you’re typical ambient chill out its errr eclectic… Point proved.
Buy Chris Coco’s Big Freeze Vol.3 on (CD)
Disc 1
1. Asle Bjørn – Fyresvatn
2. Booka Shade – Outskirts
3. Glass Candy – Computer Love
4. Hercules And Love Affair – Classique #2 (Edit)
5. Figurines – The Air We Breathe (Prins Thomas Disco Mix)
6. Infamy – Rest (Exclusive)
7. Aeroplane ‘Caramellas’
8. Williams – Love on a Real Train (Version by STUDIO)
9. Smith & Mudd – Shulme (Lexx mix)
10. Quiet Village – Pillow Talk
11. Todd Terje / Prins Thomas – Reinbagen
Disc 2
1. City Reverb – Pinsharp (Trojan Soundsystem Remix)
2. Loco Dice – M Train To Brooklyn
3. Mudd – Colonel Dubbage
4. Allez Allez – African Queen
5. Melodica, Melody & Me – No Time To Skank
6. Seabear – Cat Piano
7. Port O’Brien – Will You Be There?
8. Leander – Pass Fail
9. Au Revoir Simone – Oh! You Pretty Things
10. Speck Mountain – Summer Above
11. Lulu Rouge – Melankoli
12. Notwist – Where In This World
13. MonolakePlumbiconEpilogue
Metro Area – Fabric 43 Review
Tuesday, November 11th, 2008 | Album Review, Music | 1 Comment
Disco in London seems to be making a bit of a come back these days with nights like Disco Bloodbath and Horse Meat Disco popping up in packed backrooms and main rooms all over the capital, it really seems to be down with the kids these days. You might think that there is little room for disco down at Fabric in amongst the basslines and electronic noises. Well you’d be wrong. Tucked away upstairs in the little room 3 you’ll find the playground for the leftfield and more often not you’ll hear those classic NY disco sounds pumping out its speakers. So it makes sense for Fabric to explore the flowery side of dance music. We got a taste from James Murphy and Pat Mahoney’s efforts on FabricLive 36 and I have to say it might have been the best Fabric release this year.
For Fabric 43, Metro Area has the fortunate or unfortunate task of following the LCD Soundsystem duo in the disco stakes. Hailing from Brooklyn, Morgan Geist and Darshan Jesrani should know a thing or two. They’ve been producing and DJ’ing since the 90s and were affectively ahead of the curve with their seminal release Metro Area 1 fusing the delights of early Detroit and Chicago music with their native Harlem disco.
On this CD they set out themselves the task of doing a mid 80s mix with emphasis on the not so obvious disco. And true to their word they have, about 90% of the tracklisting is circa 1985 and I don’t recognise a single record. The closest I come is knowing who Devo and that said I don’t even know any of their music.
So what can I tell you about this mix from my obviously lacking knowledge of disco music? Probably not that much. But I can tell you that this mix is crafted quite beautifully from start to end. They explore organic and synthesised sounds, they ooze funk, groove with a great sense of urgency and they get inside your mind with so many different hooks.
They effortlessly glide between the laidback grooves of Disco Four’s Move to the Groove and the luscious RnB infused You Should Have Known Better through to the urgent funk of italo disco I love with tracks like Swede’s Scandal’s Atmosphere and Mascara’s Baja. If the hooks don’t get you the percussion sure will.
But its not just pure disco throughout, tracks like Ray Martinez’ The Natives Are Restless provides a great tribal interlude before being followed by the Chicago and Detroit influences through Dreamhouse’s I Can Feel It and Plez’ I Can’t Stop. There’s even a head nod to French synthpop’s Poupee Flash. They’re completely different genres but one thing that unites them all is that they have this groove flowing through them.
There are some real gems on this CD, but then there are some tracks which stray into the dubiously cheesy disco territory. Souvenier’s Voyage stands out in particular. It has a strange resemblance to the theme tune of Love Boat a 70s TV show which aired 14 odd years before I was born. The way the funk bass jogs along before a crescendo into a flurry of clichéd strings and horns. As clichéd as it is however, it does just work, like the rest of this CD.
It’s great to see Fabric taking the series in a completely different direction and I think with Metro Area it’s paid off. For those not wholly into disco this is great journey through some of the great music that came from that era. It’s well put together and has great progression. However for me this still doesn’t top the FabricLive:36 effort from the LCD SoundSystem boys.
Buy Metro Area – Fabric 43 on (CD)
Tracklisting:
01. Babla’s Disco Sensation – Ghar Aya Mera Pardesi (Intro)
02. World Premiere – Share the Night (Breakdown Mix)
03. Ministry – Work for Love (Dub Mix)
04. The Disco Four – Move to the Groove (Instrumental)
05. Skratch – You Should Have Known Better (Instrumental)
06. Barbara Norris – Heavy Hitter (Dub Version)
07. Gary’s Gang – Makin’ Music (Dub Mix)
08. Voyage – Souvenirs
09. Five Special – Why Leave Us Alone (Long Version)
10. Ray Martinez – The Natives are Restless
11. Dreamhouse – I Can Feel It
12. Mascara – Baja (Instrumental Dub Version)
13. Play by Numbers – Cloud Nine (Ready Mix)
14. Midway – Set it Out (Funky Breakdown Mix)
15. Heaven 17 – Penthouse and Pavement
16. Data – Blow (Remix)
17. Atmosphere – Swede’s Scandal
18. Wiretap – X-Rated Man
19. Plez – I Can’t Stop (Acid Rainforest Mix)
20. Baby Oliver – Feelings2
21. Jean Luc Ponty – Open Mind (Special Dance Mix )
22. Premiere Class – Poupée Flash
23. Devo – Freedom of Choice
Gaiser – Blank Fade Review
Tuesday, November 11th, 2008 | Album Review, Music | No Comments
Blank Fade is the new long player from the master of the wobbly bassline Gaiser. Out on Richie Hawtin’s Minus label, it is sure to be weird and abstract. Gaiser undoubtedly has his own style. His tracks always have a certain ambience and spaciousness about them where each element is carefully calculated to occupy the audio soundscape. This new album is no exception.
The whole album revolves around Gaiser’s dark and eerie style, using strange electronic noises over clinical percussion and round warm bass, all served up with lashings of echo and delay to give you that vibrating vision feeling. Combine that with Gaiser’s impeccable production quality means it is a great formula. This album definitely has some stand out tracks. Ciliate With, Whether or Not, Comma Fade and Descending Order all have their own specific haunting qualities. However when you listen to the whole of Blank Fade track by track, the style seems to wear thin. All the tracks start to sound very alike causing tracks to lose their identity. Although it’s not until you listen to the album mixed when it all becomes clear.
When mixed, the album makes perfect sense. The tracks which initially seemed filler do actually serve a more meaningful purpose in transitioning between the main tracks. They keep a flow and groove which becomes apparent when you listen to this album like a DJ mix. When mixed, the electronic bleeps and noises flow and transition into one another with progression rather than the initial perception of repetition. This is why Gaiser’s live sets are entertaining because his music is in it for the long haul.
Buy Gaiser’s Blanke Fade on (CD)
Tracklist:
CD
1. Volve (4:15)
2. Face Down (4:10)
3. Ground (3:42)
4. Ciliate With (5:29) (CD + Digital Only)
5. Whether Or Not (4:10) (CD + Digital Only)
6. Substance B (4:53)
7. Comma, Fade (6:27)
8. Leave It (5:43)
9. Trunkated (8:07)
10. Descending Order (6:59)
11. One After (6:30)
12. Outline (5:13) (CD + Digital Only)
LP
A1. Leave It (6:19)
A2. Substance B (6:22)
B1. Ground (5:30)
B2. Comma, Fade (6:59)
C. Descending Order (8:19)
D1. One After (6:43)
D2. Volve (4:50)
Digital Bonus Track: Rate 78.17 (6:00)
Fuse Presents… Deetron Review
Sunday, November 2nd, 2008 | Album Review, Music | No Comments
I’ve only ever been to Brussels once and that was when I was a kid on a school trip. In my opinion there was little to see or do. We took a look at the European parliament and then spent the rest of the time getting drunk in a cheesy discotheque due to Belgium’s lax drinking laws. Had I known that the Fuse club existed I might have found the place a little more exciting. They get a good stream of cutting edge talent through their doors and if you’ve ever scoured the internet for DJ sets you’d be sure to come across some great live mixes from this club. And like any big club they have to have the obligatory CD series which has the Swiss born Deetron taking the reins in the next instalment.
For his Fuse Presents mix, Deetron explores the deep, spacey and percussive end of house and techno. The opening tracks such as Salvatore Freda & Volta’s Basic Hood Lobos build slowly through restrained beats. Jackie Idjut’s remix of Fragment Four Love Won’t Leave Me Alone incorporates beautiful violins and slow burning percussion whilst we get a blast of sublime old school with the vocals and bass guitar on Fingers Inc’s A Path.
Through the middle section we see Deetron focus more on the percussive style of house as the mix steps up a gear. Tracks like Gene Hunt’s Inspire and Schwarz, Ame and Dixon’s D.P.O.M.B help the mix hit its peak time step. We also hear various influences from a little injection of dub with Trus’Me’s W.A.R Dub, Shakleton’s Moroccan influenced Death is Not Final and a head nod to Detroit with Redshape’s Warrior.
The mix finishes at the peak of a crescendo with Radioslave’s Eyes Wide Open in a flurry of bongo percussion before finishing out on the ‘91classic Future by Mr Monday to end a well programmed mix. In terms of style there are similarities with Ame’s Fabric 42 in the variety and styles of house used, but Deetron does a great job of giving the CD its own identity.
Buy Fuse Presents Deetron on (CD)
Tracklist:
01. Mossa – Body Selector (Swayzak remix)
02. Salvatore Freda & Volta – Basic Hood Lobos
03. Kenneth Bager Feat. Jean Luc Ponty & Nikolaj Grandjean – Fragment Four Love Won’t Leave Me Alone (Jackie Idjut Remix)
04. Iron Curtis – Ass & Cash
05. Dop – I’m Just A Man
06. Jacopo Carreras – One Sentence (Efdemin Remix)
07. Baaz – Something
08. Fingers Inc. – A Path
09. Marcel Dettmann – Plain
10. Spacetime Continuum – Kairo (Carl Craig Mix 1)
11. Gene Hunt – Inspire (Abicah Soul Remix)
12. Jerome Derradji – System Of Survival
13. Henrik Schwarz / Ame / Dixon – D.P.O.M.B. (Version 1)
14. Adam Marshall – Thelon (Todd Sines Remix)
15. Trus’me – W.A.R. Dub
16. Redshape – Warrior
17. Dettmann & Klock – Blank Scenario
18. Matthew Styles – We Said Nothing
19. DXR – Dark Rain
20. Shackleton Feat. Vengeance Tenfold – Death Is Not Final
21. Michel Cleis & Salvatore Freda – Sassicaia
22. The Lost Men – I Cried For You
23. Herb Martin – Soul Drums
24. Radio Slave – Eyes Wide Open
25. Mr. Monday – Future
Boys Noize – I Love Techno 2008 Review
Sunday, November 2nd, 2008 | Album Review, Music | No Comments
I first heard Boys Noize dj back in 2005. His productions were just breaking through with the likes of Tiga and 2ManyDJs. Back then he played to a room of about ten people. Despite that he still managed to whip up the thin crowd with his blend of brash electronic noises. These days Boyz Noize’s profile has mushroomed to the point where he is headlining major festivals across the world. His new superstar status means he is heading up the 2008 edition of the I Love Techno compilation to go with the Belgium festival of the same name in November.
On this mix Boys Noize stamps his style all over it, jumping straight in and electrocuting your testicles with big sharp crocodile clips. The beats are big and ballsy whilst the range and variety of electronic noises provide a circus of peaks and troughs. He Sets a steady pace to ease you in with Proxy’s Raven. Its long drawn out saw tooth synths ride over simple chugging beats before transforming into the tribal rhythms of Jan Driver’s Rat Alert. From here the mix continues though a meandering maze of fuzzy electro synths and noises before changing rhythm with Diplo’s remix of Get Up. His style of Baltimore breaks and beeps allows for a moment of booty shaking as the mix continues on a flaming escalator through twisted electronic noises, the nuttiest track of the CD being Les Petits Pilous’ Wake Up. Its laser shot noises and bleeps make it sound like a Saturday afternoon down LazerQuest.
However it’s not all fuzzy electro synths, blips and squeaks. Patrice Baumel’s beatless Roar provides a good interlude ahead of being dumped in a fast spin cycle of techno. Len Faki’s Death by House and Joey Beltram’s Game Form help round up the CD through a blitz of pummelling beats.
All in all, it seems Boys Noize has dug up every fuzzy electro synth line and squeaky blip known to man cumulating in a wild mix not for the faint hearted. The brashness of the sounds might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re into that then this is 100% Boys Noize and it’s totally what you’d expect to keep a techno arena dancing all night.
Buy Boys Noize – I Love Techno 2008 on (CD)
Tracklist:
01. DMX Krew – White Noise Black Hole
02. Proxy – Raven + Boys Noize feat. I-Robots – Frau (Acapella)
03. Jan Driver – Rat Alert
04. ZZT – The Worm (Original Munich Version)
05. Poni Hoax – Hypercommunication (Alter Ego Remix)
06. Steve Rachmad – Bot
07. Soundhack – Devils Run
08. Popof – Electric Circus + D.I.M. – Is You (Acapella)
09. MMM – Lets Git It On
10. MMM – Nous Sommes MMM (Live Version)
11. Bingo Players – Get Up (Diplo Remix)
12. Mr. Oizo – Positif
13. Les Petits Pilous – Wake Up
14. Mixhell – Highly Explicit (Brodinski Remix)
15. Alter Ego – Jolly Joker (Dj Kozes Nuttich Styler Remix)
16. Patrice Baumel – Roar
17. Len Faki – Death By House
18. The Subs – Papillon (Brodinski Remix)
19. Zeus – Zeus
20. Joey Beltram – Game Form
21. Boys Noize – My Head (Para One Remix)
22. Errorsmith – In A Sweat (Live Version)
Bent Art of Chill Vol. 5 Review
Saturday, October 25th, 2008 | Album Review, Music | 1 Comment
Bent continues the CD series where lush melodies love to soar and heavy kick drums are an unknown concept. Spread across two CDs each half of bent gets to take command of their own slice of 74 minutes.
Both CDs explore the full specturms of “chill out” music from dark melancholy tones to bright and colourful strings, airy vocals and snippets of piano excellence. But above all else it covers beautiful music.
On the first CD tracks like Kirsty Hawkshaw’s vocals over Meteors with a lullaby style piano sets a dreamy tone. Whilst Pictor Nooten and Michael Brooks’ Several Times II is a fantastic piece of atmospheric music using deep drawn out tones and a brilliant array of layers.
Music from Bent themselves features on the CD in the form of As Seen From Space, another beautiful track which uses a vocal layers from a monastery choir to achieve a great celestial affect. The CD finishes on a lighter tone with The Ecstacy of Dancing Fleas. It paints a joyous picture of fleas pinging off into the air in slow motion as you would see on some insect nature program but in a more Hawaiian style.
The second CD continues with more atmospheric music. Lusine’s stuttered airy vocal tones breeze through glittering wind chimes in a James Holden way to create an intense but light track. Whilst Ben Benjamin’s Toothlike Tokens uses a light patter of percussion and xylophones as deep and low strings builds a moving and bright crescendo.
One of the standout tracks on this compilation is probably Cathy Davey’s Piece of the Pie which has a sleepy soothing Waltz style sway to accompany Cathy’s light breathy voice. Another interesting track on the second CD has to be Kalimankou Denkou by The Bulgarian State Radio and Television Female Vocal Choir who perform a moving piece of harmonic music using vocals alone. Purely fantastic.
Both CDs offers a diverse and interesting selection of beautiful music which is worth your sole attention. And for once a chill out CD which doesn’t go down the usual route of using Roksopp, Zero 7, Groove Armada At The River or anything else you might have heard on adverts.
Buy Bent’s Art of Chill Vol 5 on CD
Tracklist:
1. Pipegroove – Cole, B.J. & Millsy/Davy Spillan
2. Your Life – City
3. Meteors – Hawkshaw, Kirsty
4. Beach Red Lullaby – Flying Saucer Attack
5. Adagio Assai – Ravel, Maurice
6. Its Happening – Simon & Eliza
7. Several Times II – Nooten, Pieter & Michael Brook
8. Angel Eyes – Chungking
9. As Seen From Space
10. Ecstasy Of Dancing Fleas – Penguin Cafe Orchestra
1. Boute – AU
2. Day Follows Night (Bodi Bill version) – Nonostar
3. Jetstream – Lusine ICL
4. Cream Cakes – Pony Comb
5. Amalia – As One
6. Toothlike Tokens – Benjamin, Ben
7. Okonkole Y Trompa – Pastorius, Jaco
8. Childhood – Armstrong, Craig
9. Leap Year – Tack Till
10. Tomorrow Never Comes – Allison, Dot
11. Piece Of The Pie – Davey, Cathy
12. Soft Collared Neck – Helios
13. Kalimankou Denkou (The Evening Gathering) – Bulgarian State Radio & Television Female Vocal Choir
14. Unbraiding The Sun – Goldmund
15. Pipe Dreams – Natural Yogurt Band
Michel De Hey – No Nonesense Review
Tuesday, October 21st, 2008 | Album Review, Music | No Comments
Like Ronseal Michel De Hey´s new compilation does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a no nonsense mix, simple and straight forward, mixing good music without any fancy stuff. On this compilation De Hey guns for melodic, atmospheric house and techno, using his slick skills to effortlessly blend between upfront tracks.
Highlights on the CD include the Spanish guitar melody of Vacaciones en Chile, the melancholic riff of Daso & Pawas´ Det and the funk fuelled Delete dub of Johnny D´s Soleil. However whilst a solid straight up mix that is well blended, De Hey doesn’t really venture too far away from the restrained beats and atmospheric melodies to wow us with something off the wall or original. Tracks off the beaten path or something classic could have really spiced up the CD and helped to give the mix a bit of identity. Without that it is just another CD with upfront house and techno albeit very well mixed together.
Dr Lektroluv Live at Pukkelpop 2008 Review
Wednesday, October 15th, 2008 | Album Review, Music | No Comments
After successful mix CDs recorded live from Extrema and Rock Werchter, Dr Lektroluv returns with a sample of his set from the massive Belgian festival Pukkelpop.
Dr Lektroluv’s live set from the Belgian festival takes you on an electronic music journey….. Actually it’s more of a frantic blitz as you ‘go postal’ through a quiet neighborhood. Big fuzzy saw tooth basslines bite through big beats and catchy riffs; add a few vocals from tracks like Day and Night and the Crooker’s remix of To Protect & Entertain and you’ve got yourself a pogoing party on a CD for the kids.
The brash electro lines and booty shaking beats might not be the subtlest, but the shear mentalness is quite fun. The kids will definitely lap this up. It is a great mix of the sound and if you were there it will probably bring back fun memories. If however you like stroking your chin to the minimalist of techno and frown upon those neon coloured sunglasses with built in blinds, then this CD is not for you!
www.lektroluv.be / www.myspace.com/drlektroluv / www.pukkelpop.be
Red Snapper – A Pale Blue Dot Review
Saturday, September 27th, 2008 | Album Review, Music | No Comments
Reformed and rejuvenated, Red snapper return from a seven year hibernation sporting a new saxophone turbo charger. Tom Challenger’s sax and clarinet skills have been brought in to add another dimension to the three piece band which can’t be filled into one pigeon hole.
This new album which was recorded live sees elements come from jazz, funk, rockabilly and blues with the occasional head nod to the trippy variety of hip hop. It’s hard to pin point the track’s particular styles, Red Snapper seem to just throw in elements from all over and the result sounds like a natural jam session of different influences. For example, Lagos Creepers has a jazz feel from the sax and percussion whilst the bassline is very funk. Whilst Wanga Doll is more blues orientated striding into the rockabilly realm.
Moving Mountain on the other hand is a very deep dub track which incorporates Chanllenger’s clarinet melody creates a interesting symphonic yet trippy dub sound. Clam is another highlight with its skipping jazz beat, sax spats and funk drenched slap bass.
A fitting and varied return for Red Snapper.
Buy Red Snapper – A Pale Blue Dot on (CD
Cosmic Balearic Beats Vol.1 Review
Friday, September 26th, 2008 | Album Review, Music | No Comments
If there ever was a practical compilation title award then Cosmic Balearic Beats Vol.1 would be a nomination. Cosmic Balearic Beats Vol.1 is…. well Balearic beats of a cosmic nature and it’s the first volume that Eskimo Recordings have put out. Mixed by Skinny Joey, the emphasis of the CD is to provide a platform for nurturing and developing new talent from all over the world. With the likes of Lindstrom, Prins Thomas and Allez Allez on Eskimo Recordings, you know this CD is going to be a funk fed free range organic chicken of a mix.
It covers a lot of ground with the track selection taking influences from Disco, funk, house, italo and electro. It’s set at a handbag strutting pace and oozes shoulder shaking funk with fuzzy synthesisers. The opening two tracks, Footprints by Stratus and Phoreski’s 80’s Boy embody that classic disco sound with plenty of cow bells and funk basslines, whilst Malstrom’s Petrichor amalgamates Moroccan influences with nu-disco.
As the mix progresses, more and more variations on the disco sound trickle through. Rubberroom’s midway track Cockroach has psychedelic synths and guitars, whilst the breathy vocals on Cosomo’s remix of Spektrum’s Fit Together is reminiscent of the Blondie disco days. The mix begins to round off with Ichisan’s epic and spacey Radar Pulse is Sent where the riding synths and step up in tempo sets up the grand finale to go out on a bang.
If you’re currently liking the nu-disco sound, then this CD is a great representation of the new talent coming through in this genre and an excellent showcase for Eskimo Recordings.
Buy Cosmic Balearic Beats Vol.1 on (CD
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