wtorek, grudnia 29, 2009

Claude VonStroke - Aundy [2009, vinyl, dirtybird]





























20 may 2009
lbl: Dirtybird
#: db023
electronic
deep house, tech-house, minimal
320kbps
mohs hubscale: boron



A.
Aundy

B.
Storm On Lake Saint Claire



note: "'Aundy' has that perfect pairing off ultra-smooth padded ambience and crisp, muscular beats. Thanks to a twinkling rhodes sweep the whole piece feels lighter than air, but that warm, contoured drum programming maintains a necessary physicality. Propelling itself with more of a swing in its trajectory, 'Storm On Lake Saint Claire' is a streamlined piece, featuring a driving beat that interweaves with thunderstorm samples while fluttering stabs provide a reduced melodic foil."

yt preview:





poniedziałek, grudnia 28, 2009

Various - Delsin 2.0 Compilation [2009, 2 x cd, delsin]



























may 2009
lbl: Delsin
#: 76dsr/var-cd4
electronic
minimal, techno, deep house, tech-house, dub
320kbps
mohs hubscale: chrysoberyl



1.01 Nubian Mindz - Afrika Man

1.02 Vince Watson - Ethereal (Excerpt)

1.03 Redshape - Misc Usage

1.04 Quince - Contracting

1.05 DJ Yoav B. - Organ Satta

1.06 Sterac aka Steve Rachmad - Bot

1.07 Djinxx - The Foreigner

1.08 Redshape - Steam

1.09 Peel Seamus & Aroy Dee - All That Remains

1.10 Quince - Sub-01

1.11 Redshape - Shaped World (Stripped)

1.12 Newworldaquarium - Twenty

2.01 D5 - Run

2.02 Sterac aka Steve Rachmad - Rond

2.03 Vince Watson - Believer

2.04 Delta Funktionen - Nebula

2.05 Shed - Handle With Care I

2.06 Newworldaquarium - Bond

2.07 DJ Yoav B. - Energize

2.08 Taho - Forrest Of Wonders

2.09 Vince Watson - Long Way From Home

2.10 D5 - Lab Work

2.11 Chymera - Hundulu

2.12 Vince Watson - Soltitude



Autre - Unheard Melodies EP [2009, vinyl, ianus]





























18 december 2009
lbl: Ianus
#: IANVS71
electronic
techno, minimal, tech-house
320kbps
mohs hubscale: corundum



1. Unheard Melodies
2. Canoa Quebrada
3. Masquerade
4. Mismo
5. Funk Speeches



note: egzotyczna epka z najbardziej skłębionych rejonów sieci.



niedziela, grudnia 27, 2009

Arne Weinberg - Alpha & Omega [2009, cd, aw-recordings]





























6 april 2009
lbl: AW-Recordings
#: AW-013CD
electronic
techno
320kbps
mohs hubscale: corundum



1.01
Alpha (Intro)
1.02
Everlasting
1.03
Never Surrender
1.04
Nightstalker
1.05
Arcane
1.06
Synthetic Dissection
1.07
Defining Negative Spaces
1.08
Eclectic Spiral
1.09
With Trembling Hands
1.10
Omega (Outro)



note: "Following on from 2006’s debut LP “Path of the Gods”, Arne Weinberg’s second album will take you on a musical passage from Alpha to Omega and demonstrate the diversion of Arne’s palette of sounds. Too many modern Techno Albums feature just a collection of tracks with no real story to tell, Arne’s second album aims to be more than just that and pushes further the boundaries of modern techno music.
From the dark and mystic feel of “Everlasting” to the floor shaking grooves of “Nightstalker” and “Eclectic Spiral” or the deep electro influenced ambience of “Synthetic Dissection” and “With trembling hands” this album has it all." - distributor.

yt preview:





electric sheeps



buy it here. [discogs]

sobota, grudnia 26, 2009

EQD - Equalized #002 [2008, vinyl, equalized]





























december 2008
lbl: Equalized
# EQD 002
electronic
techno, minimal, breakbeat
320kbps
mohs hubscale: diamond



A.
A [Original Mix]


B.
B [Original Mix]



producer - Rene Pawlowitz

note: "So what's the music like? Surprisingly, it sounds less austere than the format suggests. The untitled A side is a straight enough DJ tool, until the rich, joyous chords start to gradually build over the repetitive tribal beats. There's a bigger surprise on the flipside though: Equalized dispenses with the straight kicks and dance floor approach in favour of a noisy, slightly out-of-time breakbeat arrangement that shuffles along, accompanied by the sound of angelic hooks and bleeps to swoon for. It's hard to imagine who'll play this track, but, like this series and the manner in which it is delivered, it remains an endearing and hopefully enduring oddity." - Richard Brophy.

yt preview:




Untold - Flexible [2009, vinyl, brainmath]





























14 december 2009
lbl: Brainmath
#: MATH 05
electronic
dubstep, wonky
~180kbps
mohs hubscale: silicon



A.
Flexible



producer - Jack Dunning



Ground-Zero - Plays Standards [2002, cd, rer megacorp]








































"Refuse"and"Trash" by Morris Norvin































2002
lbl: ReR Megacorp
#: ReR GZ3
electronic, rock
future jazz, experimental, avant-garde
224kbps
mohs hubscale: diamond



1.
El Derecho De Vivir En Paz / Shinoshin 3/4
2.
Ultra Q
3.
Those Were The Days
4.
Folhas Secas
5.
Washington Post March / Japan Dissolution
6.
Akashia No Ame Ga Yamu Toki
7.
Bones
8.
Where Is The Police? / The Bath Of Surprise
9.
Miagetegoran, Yoru No Hoshi Wo
10.
Yume No Hansyu
11.
Die Papple Vom Karlsplatz
12.
A Better Tomorrow / I Say A Little Prayer



Yoshihide Otomo: turntables (1-5, 7-12), self-made guitar (2, 6, 12), electric guitar (9), voice (3, 5), whistling (8, 10), surdo (4), agogo bell (4), bath water (8), toothbrush (8), body (8), tubes (8), euphonium (8), reeds (8), toys (8)
Sachiko Matsubara: sampler (1-3, 5, 7-12), omnichord (4), voice (5)
Yumiko Tanaka: futozao-shamisen (1, 7, 8, 11), hosozao-shamisen (5, 10, 12), kokyu (2), koto (9), taisho-koto (3), voice (1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12), toys (5)
Masahiro Uemura: kit drums (1-3, 5, 7, 9-12), shaker (4), tambourine (4), gong (12), voice (5)
Yasuhiro Yoshigaki: kit drums (1-3, 5, 7, 9-12), djembe (1), bass drums (2, 11), cymbals (2, 11), congas (2), pandeiro (4), quica (4, 5), caixa (4), gong (5, 9, 12), goat-hoof jingle (5), tambourines (12), klaxon (12), whistle (12), acme siren (12), vocie (3, 5)
Naruyoshi Kikuchi: tenor sax (1-3, 5, 10, 12), soprano sax (4, 7-10), baritone sax (4, 7, 11), voice (5)
Mitsuru Nasuno: electric bass (1-5, 7, 9-12), voice (5, 10)
Kazuhisa Uchihashi: electric guitar and effects (1-6, 8-12), acoustic guitar (7), voice (5)

note: "Just when you thought it would be safe... Ground Zero are back with a CD of extraordinary covers, some are massive, others strange, all add something to their originals and were selected because of their importance to founder Otomo Yoshihide's personal musical biography - all explained in his excellent accompanying notes."

kilka słów



STL - Checkmate [2009, vinyl, echospace [detroit]]





























december 2009
lbl: echospace [detroit]
#: Echospace [detroit] seq1
electronic
dub, techno
320kbps
mohs hubscale: boron



A1.
Checkmate (cv313 Remix)
A2.
Checkmate (Original Mix)
B.
A Beautiful Mind



producer - Stephan Laubner

note: "I wouldn't claim to know everything about vintage analogue signal processing, but I can safely say that this record is "warm." The title track is the darker of the cuts, while Modell and Hitchell's 313 remodel employs a more prominent 4/4 slug for the dance floor. There is a profound ambiance, meanwhile, to be found on the B-side, "A Beautiful Mind." It's a long-playing marvel, a delicately crafted piece that will enchant and inspire through its 17 minutes of outer-worldliness.

Checkmate has an intricate handmade feel. As the kicks and bass implant themselves into your psyche, the details start to unfold. Fitting, perhaps, to this time of year; it is cold outside in these parts of Europe and in the contemplative sounds here you will find rain, icy peaks and sounds of the sea that will leave you with shivers. Shown the time it deserves—this EP will become another good friend from the Echospace catalogue."



piątek, grudnia 25, 2009

John Tejada - Cleaning Sounds Is A Filthy Business [2006, cd, palette recordings]





























26 october 2006
lbl: Palette Recordings
#: PAL042CD
electronic
minimal, techno
192kbps
mohs hubscale: carborundum



1. What Happened To Manners?
2. Clever Bunch
3. Mutation
4. Folding Room
5. The End Of It All
6. The Zone
7. Science, I Think
8. Paper Jet
9. Calculated Time
10. Panorama



let’s get dirty



buy it here. [amazon]

czwartek, grudnia 24, 2009

Greena - Tenzado [2009, vinyl, apple pips]





























21 december 2009
lbl: Apple Pips
#: PIPS010
electronic
dubstep
320kbps
mohs hubscale: boron



1.
Tenzado
2.
Actual Pain



note: "Apple Pips come out of nowhere with their latest release from newcomer to the scene Greena, who drops two heavy slabs of UK garage / house-influenced dubstep / UK funky shizzle. Pips head honcho Appleblim says that "Tenzado" is one of the freshest tunes he's heard for a while. It features slick vocal hooks and smooth bass lines sounding like a cross between Cooly G, El-B and the 8-bit vibes of Zomby. "Actual Pain" flexes percussive beats and some sine wave synth efx for a Ramadanman style vibe."



Markus Guentner - Doppelgeanger [2009, cd, sending orbs]





























29 november 2009
lbl: Sending Orbs
#: SO 012
electronic
ambient, minimal
~224kbps
mohs hubscale: chromium



1. Angelpunkt
2. Das Haus Steht Leer
3. Doppelgaenger
4. Flimmerfrequenz
5. Dreiglanz
6. Asphaltwiese
7. Meer Der Luegen
8. Niederwald
9. Toter Hafen



note: "Guentner is mostly known for his techno work on the Kompakt label, but what he has done for us here is nothing alike. "Doppelgaenger" is like a field-trip into minimal ambientland. Once you've dove into it, there's neither a beginning nor an end, there are just these endless waves of pads, synth figures and drones that sit in your brain and watch you closely while your mind wanders off.

Think Yagya or Gas in terms of hypnotic. Think a musical veteran that masters every aspect of the job in terms of productional value.

No, this is not the new, dense, clubsmashing dubstep monster out there; this here is musical gold that isn't trying to please, but will prove itself in the long run for the ears that are willing to take the time to think out of the box. We think this is an album you'll be coming home to, over and over again."



that carp! hurry up!


buy it here.


Intrusion - Reflection I [Remixes] [2009, vinyl, echospace [detroit]]


























16 december 2009
lbl: echospace [detroit]
#: ECHOSPACEDETROITSEQ1
electronic
dub, techno
320kbps
mohs hubscale: topaz



01. Reflection I (Exhaled by Area)
02. Reflection I (Unreleased Extended Mix)
03. Reflection I (Reshaped by Atheus)
04. Reflection I (Inhaled by Area)


note: echospace odcina kupony od swojej działalności zakasując rękawy patriotom dubu.



[fixed, 1 february 2010]



Nautilis - Sketches [2002, cd, planet mu]





























8 july 2002
lbl: Planet Mu
#: ZIQ059CD
electronic
idm, glitch, abstract, downtempo, hip-hop
256kbps
mohs hubscale: chromium



1. Rochesta
2. Ishmix
3. Living Possum
4. Vecx
5. 777
6. 888
7. Epatre
8. Marufo
9. The Breaks Vol. 2
10. Plunder
11. 492 Cups To China
12. Dyslexik
13. Ruffion.rmx


producer - Skyler McGlothlin

note: "[...] Muzyka orbituje wokół instrumentalnego hip-hopu, owadziego IDM-u, porywającej samplodelii i kojącego downtempo z domieszką trip-hopu. Eklektyczna, przesycona wielkomiejskim klimatem mieszanka została idealnie zespolona w całość dzięki wyobraźni, wyczuciu i wrażliwości amerykańskiego producenta, przy czym znakomity warsztat i muzyczna erudycja to tylko jedna strona "Szkiców"; drugą jest tryskająca z każdego utworu miłość do muzyki i to właśnie ona przesądza o wyjątkowości tego materiału. Wówczas myśli o epigoństwie odchodzą w niepamięć, wówczas przestają się liczyć oczywiste skojarzenia z Boards Of Canada, Autechre, Plaid, Joshem Davisem vel DJ Shadow i innymu "elektrotuzami", wówczas na wierzch wypływa to, co najistotniejsze: muzyka. Ta pozostaje niezmiennie piękna i porywająca, nawet po sześciu latach. [...]" - Maciej Kaczmarski.



środa, grudnia 23, 2009

Blue Daisy - Space Ex [2009, vinyl, black acre]





























july 2009
lbl: Black Acre
#: ACRE013
electronic, hip-hop
dubstep, wonky, hip-hop
320kbps
mohs hubscale: boron



A.
Space Ex


Featuring - LaNote
B.
The Fall



note: "This is the very impressive debut release from one of London's best kept secrets, Blue Daisy. There's been a massive buzz about these two incredible tracks which sound uncannilylike the sublime offspring of Flylo and Burial. 'Space Ex' - featuring treated vocals from LaNote - is the soul-stunning A-side that sounds like the work of a hugely experienced producer, but if this really is a debut release then we'd recommend keeping a very close eye. It basically sounds like Flylo's 'Tealeaf Dancers' but with an instantly gratifying vocal that you'd normally associate with someone like Various Production in this context. The track breathes heavily with a beautifully subtle inhale/exhale compression technique lending a hazy balance of pressure undulating between spacious atmospheres and overcast tempestuousness until the fronts meet to precipitates a piquant Kraftwerkian melody. 'The Fall' on the flip is a purely instrumental cut, shorn of vocals to reveal the full majesty of Blue Daisy's production, sounding here like a garage/house hybrid rhythm that's been left in the midday sun to wither and wilt and then played from a carnival soundsystem three streets away. We're slightly baffled as to how this came through on Black Acre, a label usually associated with balls-out breakstep and murky plodders but all respect to them for bringing Blue Daisy to the attention of the wider world."

yt preview:





Niederflur - Lumen EP [2009, vinyl, archipel]





























18 october 2009
lbl: Archipel
#: ARCHPL018
electronic
techno, minimal
320kbps
mohs hubscale: tourmaline



A1.
Lumen

A2.
Masse

B1.
Flor

B2.
Fucht



note: "Defecting from their regular Minus stomping ground, Christopher Bleckman and Hannes Wenner unveil four new original productions for Archipel, leading with a title track that sculpts some sticky-sounding percussive minimalism into its backbone whilst deploying a subtle and economical melodic motif in the process. Next up, 'Masse' is another quality piece of production, focusing more on low-end timbres and shadowy reverbs, while 'Flor' takes a more surprising turn towards grander gestures, letting loose with the synth strings and sci-fi melodrama. Closing the package 'Fucht' takes a springy, muffled bassline and latches it to clicky, yet highly dynamic beats."

yt preview:






wtorek, grudnia 22, 2009

Opium - Pain(t) [2009, cdr, databloem]



























2009
lbl: Databloem
#: DB09023
electronic
ambient, experimental, ritual
~240kbps
mohs hubscale: chromium



1. Empty
2. Over Tibet
3. Formiche
4. Linee
5. Azure
6. Aseptic



producer - Matteo Zini

note: "Now opium, by greatly increasing the activity of the mind, generally increases, of necessity, that particular mode of its activity by which we are able to construct out of the raw material of organic sound an elaborate intellectual pleasure...It is sufficient to say, that a chorus, etc of elaborate harmony displayed before me, as in a piece of arras work, the whole of my past life - not as if recalled by an act of memory, but as if present and incarnated in the music; no longer painful to dwell upon, but the detail of its incidents removed...and its passions exalted, spiritualized, and sublimed..."



Floating Points - For You [2009, vinyl, eglo records]





























february 2009
lbl: Eglo Records
#: LG001
electronic
dubstep, hip-hop, house
~256kbps
mohs hubscale: corundum



A. For You

B. Radiality



producer - Samual Shepherd

note: "The sexy slo-mo house on Floating Points' much-hyped second release applies a tried-and-true production formula: sample, filter, rinse, repeat. The feeling produced by hearing the fruits of application can only be "my God, it's a formula for a damn good reason." On "Love Me Like This," Floating Points transforms the eponymous Reel to Reel sample into an irresistible laser-soaked hip-shaker, reminding you that sometimes all you need is an old tune no one remembers, a pair of analog filters and a dream." - William Rauscher.



poniedziałek, grudnia 21, 2009

Reagenz - Reagenz [1994, cd, source records]

























































The Time Of Fake Prophets by Matei Apostolescu





























1994

lbl: Source Records
#: CD 940714
electronic
house, dub, experimental, ambient, idm
256kbps
mohs hubscale: corundum



1.
Ä
2.
Ö
3.
Ü
4.
ß
5.
Long Leaves
6.
Hollow Mountain
7.
DJ Friendly
8.
Tz



Jonah Sharp (Space Time Continuum) and David Moufang aka Move D (and half of Deep Space Network).

note: "This brilliant but underproduced album provides highlights of two nights of recording by Jonah Sharp (of Spacetime Continuum) and David Moufang (of Deep Space Network and Conjoint). Five of the songs were recorded in Jonah's converted warehouse in San Francisco, and three songs were in David's Heidelberg studio. Awash in synth pads and drum machines, this album is an accurate representation of the ambient scene of the mid 1990s. Fans of recordings such as Alien Community, Electro Harmonix, Big Rooms, and Sea Biscuit; and artists such as Pete Namlook, Irresistible Force, and Global Communication would likely also enjoy Reagenz. Moufang's crafty chord arrangements and Sharp's keen sense of rhythm and percussion provide a nice complement. Their combined collections of vintage and modern studio electronics provide a wonderful treat for fans of the ambient movement."



niedziela, grudnia 20, 2009

Zu - Igneo [2005, cd, frenetic records]





























2005
lbl: Frenetic Records
#: FR024
rock, jazz
free-improv, free jazz, punk, grindcore, math rock, avant-garde
320kbps
mohs hubscale: carborundum



1. The Elusive Character Of Victory

2. Solar Anus

3. Eli, Eli, Elu

4. Arbol De La Esperanza Mantente Firme

5. Monte Zu

6. Untitled Samba For Kat Ex

7. Muro Torto

8. Tikkun Olam

9. Mar Glaciale Artico


Cello - Fred Lomberg-Holm
Mixed By - Steve Albini
Recorded By - Steve Albini
Saxophone - Ken Vandermark
Trombone - Jeb Bishop

note: "
Zu are an Italian sax-bass-drums trio that consistently push the boundaries of jazz, often by liberally injecting aggressive doses of other musical genres into the mix: noise, electronics, punk, hip-hop, funk and more. On Igneo, the "punk-jazz" descriptor (which is often glibly applied to, say, a good bit of John Zorn's work) is apt, as the trio blaze through nine mostly short, hyperactive, spiky compositions." - ground and sky.




Tycho - Coastal Brake [2009, vinyl, ghostly international]





























8 december 2009
lbl: Ghostly International
#: GI-90
electronic
idm, downtempo, candy, ambient
~256kbps
mohs hubscale: topaz



A1.
Coastal Brake
A2.
Coastal Brake (Manual Remix)
B1.
Coastal Brake (Hatchback's Cosmic Caviar Dub)
B2.
Coastal Brake (Lusine Remix)



producer - Scott Hansen

note: "Tycho's Scott Hansen also works as a graphic designer, and it shows in this slick, attractive production. He fits in well at Ghostly, which betrays a workmanlike aesthetic when it comes to ambient and IDM music-- a fussy classicism, flawless to a fault. Last year, they released the Sight Below's Glider, a textbook illustration of Gas that was unflashy, rigorous, and endlessly playable. Tycho graphs out more recent motifs-- Balearic chill waves, bloopy glo-fi arpeggios, space-disco vapor trails-- with similarly clean lines. His pinging synths and flickering guitars mesh like clock gears, with no margin of error, but pitches and tempos fray and stream at the edges, easing the rigidity. Moving in a fluid series of hesitations and rushes, "Coastal Brake" offers few surprises, but continuously delivers little thrills like a time-released capsule." - Pitchfork.



[fixed at 1 february 2010]



buy it here.

Pantha Du Prince - The Splendour [2009, vinyl, rough trade]





























december 2009
lbl: Rough Trade [UK]
#: RTRADST 561
electronic
tech-house, minimal
320kbps
mohs hubscale: alundum



A.
The Splendour

B1.
Water Falls

B2.
Sach Mal Baum



producer - Hendrik Weber

note: "While minimal techno may have died in a storm of rote blips and clicks set against 4/4 kicks, some of the genre's better practitioners haven't given up the ghost, and Pantha Du Prince is a member of this small coterie." - dominicu.

yt preview:



sobota, grudnia 19, 2009

EQD - Equalized #003 [2009, vinyl, equalized]




























december 2009
lbl: Equalized
#: EQD 003
electronic
techno, minimal
~200kbps
mohs hubscale: boron



A. Untitled
B. Untitled



producer - Rene Pawlowitz

note: "The A-side starts quickly, plotting out a course for darker pastures before a ramshackle organ lick arrives to save the day. It provides relief, but it does so despite itself. Once you run into its careening path, with sparks appropriately flying everywhere each time it attempts to turn, it becomes easier to love, and easier to discard from a DJ's perspective. I lean toward the latter, as its hook leavens the unrelenting percussion track underneath it.

That same organ finds its way onto the B-side, this time bubbling around in uneasy tandem with the similar raw techno beat that EQD favors. Like its predecessor on the A-side, there's a sense that things could fall apart at any moment throughout its length. And that's exactly the appeal. Wondering whether or not you're going to get to the end of those eight bars—and what will happen after that—is what makes techno of this variety so vital. It's also why Shed is currently among its most celebrated producers." - Todd L. Burns.