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SINGLE / ALBUM OF THE WEEK
BOARDS OF CANADA : Geogaddi - Warp CD £11.99
BOARDS OF CANADA : Geogaddi - Warp LTD CD BOOK £13.99
BOARDS OF CANADA : Geogaddi - Warp 3LP £19.99
It’s the biggy, set to be analysed, dissected, and discussed for years to come, Boards are finally back and the question on everybody’s lips is........is it any good? The answer is, you’ll be pleased to know, yes, very much so. An album as highly anticipated as this (four years in the making) is always going to come under much unwanted fanfare. The short of it is as follows : Geogaddi doesn’t necessarily break any new ground for Boards, but succeeds in bringing together more of the BOC magic that’s reached so deeply into our collective psyche’s since ‘Music Has The Right...’ was first released in 1998. The blueprint is similar, with short interludes scattered across and in between the ‘full tracks’, starting with the opening 60 seconds of ‘Ready Lets Go’ - a distant wildlife documentary soundtrack to your dreams in glorious childhood Lo-Fi. First track proper - ‘Music Is Math’ sees Boards in classic domain : lots of echoed spoken fragments, a vocoded refrain, simple and deeply evocative melodies and the trademark treated hip hop beat. Loveliness assured. ‘Sunshine Recorder’ gives up the first Boards Smash featured on Geogaddi, finding Mike and Marcus in devestating, classic territory; deep, developed, loveliest lovely and simply impossible not to fall in love with instantly. Once again, this is all very familiar territory, but it works flawlessly. ‘1969’ is another spine-tingler, ever so slightly out-of-tune and almost harrowing, drenched in sweetness and a slightly uneasy feel. We could go on forever - ‘The Beach at Redpoint’ - making you realise the term ‘cinematic’ could never be levelled at a track with more accuracy. Keeping to the idea of progress, however, Geogaddi also offers up some new developments - ‘Gyroscope’, for example, features an uncharacteristic mesmerising tribal rotation of drums put through the BOC filtration system, sounding like a lost tape unearthed and carefully restored, retaining the mark of antiquity that directs Boards tracks so instantly to that part of the brain reserved for our earliest memories, but doing it via a new route. ‘The Devil Is In The Details’ also follows new turns, bringing to mind Autechre’s ‘Overand’ : subliminal use of rustling found sounds over a single delayed synth progression....no beats.... untypical and totally devestating. 23 tracks wide, this is very much the kind of record that I’d rather be listening to drifting off to sleep..leaving the analysis and description to that part of the brain that’s rooted within the unconcious. Predictably awesome.
*Limited edition CD comes in a special edition hardbound cover and a 12 page booklet. These won’t be around for long.
THE ROGER TUBESOUND ENSEMBLE : Plays just notes - Rather Interesting - CD £12.99
Yes, Atom Heart is back !! A long time gone since his Pentatonic Surprise CD spun the world of digital jazz trickery on it's head. Mr Tubesound steps out of retirement once again to flex those fingers over his keyboards .45 mins of more of Atom Heart's genius for confounding expectations, here going on a Flanger tip but ejecting Burnt Freidman just so that Roger can do his thing. Roger's Back cut's a swing number into bit's, adding nifty electric piano licks and flailing rimshots left, right and centre. The album's Sun-Ra influences come to the fore on Dear Lost Listener like one of Sunny's 60's piano trio's shot into space and bounced back gathering all kinds of rhythmic displacement on it's voyage home, true cut up genius. Music (For The Library Of God) tips a nod into more abstract waters, piano lines, sampladelic's, stabs, rapid drum flurry's and a sublime / blissful ending.... here and in many other places this CD brings to mind the awesome Erik Satin CD (RI 052), in itself a huge compliment. Interchangable Intervals starts like a classic John Coltrane spiritual, solid double bass and searching drum shuffle's, then piano and rhodes to infinity and beyond / .... and finally the 20 min plus epic ...and plays just notes rounds things out travelling the spaceways / stretched time phases.... smoking tenor sax, hip and extra crazy... just the right side of genius. Possibly the finest RI release since Los Samplers, highly recommended for atomjunkies old and new. Train your brain!!
TEAM SHADETEK : Swoon - Shadetek - 12" £6.99
The blistering team known as Shadetek from NYC are back with a vengance! Seriously killer material onboard, from the mashupattakk destroyer plastic hip hop of ‘Manana Negra’, bringing to mind the kind of intricate beatwork pioneered by the much-missed Lexaunculpt, to the DSP svagery of the awesome ‘Shortening’ - Gescom territory in full : broken beats, deep and jarring basslines, body shudders allround and that spine tingle you get with the right combination of low, mid and high-end. Devestating stuff. The flip gets with the jiggy - ‘Burndown’ somehow managing to sound like a precisely 50/50 split between Get yr Freak on and Push Button Objects perfect ‘Day In A Life’. The best is saved till last, however, with the immense ‘Get Up’ - once again holding the Push Button styles, but with a low down and dirty ragga-ish vibe and the finest in vocal cut and paste. Steaming hot essential! Limited to 300 copies for the world – each sleeve totally hand constructed, numbered and unique.
RHYTHM AND SOUND : We been troddin - Burial mix - 10" £5.99
Jah! Oh yes, we need our Burial Mix fix on a regular basis and Rhythm and Sound never...ever...ever...fail to deliver! Employing the vocal talent of (Sugar Minnot Vocalist) Shalom, aka Stephen Harper, Mark and Moritz keep on keepin on with another gorgeous and devestatingly deep dose of smokey goodness. The future dub of Rhythm and Sound is finally managing to receive the widespread recognition it has so fully deserved since Basic Channel turned itself inside out, so it’s reassuring that with every new Burial Mix release the boundries of deep are pushed just that little bit further. Employing a simmilar Riddim to the awesome ‘King In My Empire’, ‘We Been Troddin’ sees a much cleaner sound for Rhythm and Sound, the trademarked space echo hiss has been momentarily done away with – emerging into the clean with pure bassline rumbles and the whispers of organ stammers left to rotate round and round your head. The vocal is suitably sweet, but play the ‘Version’ to suit deep narcosis. Awesome.
ELECTRONICA / IDM / AMBIENT / ELECTRO / ELECTROPOP/ MENTALIST
ANALOGUE AUDIO ASSOCIATION UND MADSTYLE : Sofatune - Placid - 12" £6.99
Tough and brash electro sounds, splicing in some talking droid business. Better is the title cut which features some isaac hayes-a-like vocal before the vibrational electro kicks-in once more. "find your spot..claim it..its yours". Killer one-note jams, with good bass and upful rhythm patterns. ‘Meterware’ comes on all reload, with a similar epic, classic feel to it. our closer is a sumptuous piece of mid tempo heaven, all waldorf filtered drums and simple but very beautiful melodies. winning stuff.
BOARDS OF CANADA : Geogaddi - Warp CD £11.99
BOARDS OF CANADA : Geogaddi - Warp LTD CD BOOK £13.99
BOARDS OF CANADA : Geogaddi - Warp 3LP £19.99
It’s the biggy, set to be analysed, dissected, and discussed for years to come, Boards are finally back and the question on everybody’s lips is........is it any good? The answer is, you’ll be pleased to know, yes, very much so. An album as highly anticipated as this (four years in the making) is always going to come under much unwanted fanfare. The short of it is as follows : Geogaddi doesn’t necessarily break any new ground for Boards, but succeeds in bringing together more of the BOC magic that’s reached so deeply into our collective psyche’s since ‘Music Has The Right...’ was first released in 1998. The blueprint is similar, with short interludes scattered across and in between the ‘full tracks’, starting with the opening 60 seconds of ‘Ready Lets Go’ - a distant wildlife documentary soundtrack to your dreams in glorious childhood Lo-Fi. First track proper - ‘Music Is Math’ sees Boards in classic domain : lots of echoed spoken fragments, a vocoded refrain, simple and deeply evocative melodies and the trademark treated hip hop beat. Loveliness assured. ‘Sunshine Recorder’ gives up the first Boards Smash featured on Geogaddi, finding Mike and Marcus in devestating, classic territory; deep, developed, loveliest lovely and simply impossible not to fall in love with instantly. Once again, this is all very familiar territory, but it works flawlessly. ‘1969’ is another spine-tingler, ever so slightly out-of-tune and almost harrowing, drenched in sweetness and a slightly uneasy feel. We could go on forever - ‘The Beach at Redpoint’ - making you realise the term ‘cinematic’ could never be levelled at a track with more accuracy. Keeping to the idea of progress, however, Geogaddi also offers up some new developments - ‘Gyroscope’, for example, features an uncharacteristic mesmerising tribal rotation of drums put through the BOC filtration system, sounding like a lost tape unearthed and carefully restored, retaining the mark of antiquity that directs Boards tracks so instantly to that part of the brain reserved for our earliest memories, but doing it via a new route. ‘The Devil Is In The Details’ also follows new turns, bringing to mind Autechre’s ‘Overand’ : subliminal use of rustling found sounds over a single delayed synth progression....no beats.... untypical and totally devestating. 23 tracks wide, this is very much the kind of record that I’d rather be listening to drifting off to sleep..leaving the analysis and description to that part of the brain that’s rooted within the unconcious. Predictably awesome.
*Limited edition CD comes in a special edition hardbound cover and a 12 page booklet. These won’t be around for long.
BOGDAN RACZYNSKI : 96 drum n bass classixxx - Rephlex - 2LP £12.99
The Bogdan takes a break from the touching whimsy of the excellent ‘My Love, I Love’ LP and gives up the spannered stuff on this ultra-limited edition release for Rephlex. Allegedly a compilation of lost d+b classics from ‘96, this is more than likely a collection of Bogdan madness from the vaults, or even some lost tracks from some of his Rephlex friends! Delivered in full effect, the opening ‘Reach For Your Lives’ by MC Slammah goes via the route labelled subtle and eases the mood in gently for what’s to follow from the likes of 4-Cillinda, Senator Steele, Ronny Rinkles and more!!. Wickedness proceeds with some frantic, though never chopped-up, junglist abuse. As an added bonus the record plays excellently on both speeds! Distributor notes say this is limited to 150 copies only, so be quick!!
COMPACT 3 : Fieber - Normotron - 12" £5.99
Back again to liepzig, where the normoton family bring another two sides of locked groove heaven. This latest volume could be so misused- featuring as it does salvages and culls from the annals. sources range from the wonderful to the bizarre, spanning styles from hillbilly to lounge, via african and pure dance rhyhms, cleverly tackling r and b [the old sort] with Atom Heart's playfulness, some of his abilities for manipulation and generally having an ear for the killer loop. This is possibly the most inventive release of this kind since the RRR500 double lp - good value!
CORNELIUS : Drop - Matador - 12" £4.49
CORNELIUS : Drop - Matador - CD £4.49
Seriously long-awaited new material from the fabulous Cornelius! With its atmospheric setting against a watery background, ‘Drop’ is the first single to be lifted from ‘Point’, the new LP from Cornelius. It’s a folk-tinged, harmony driven track splattered with beats and loops, a beautifully crafted, exquisite song, ideal for lazy days and relaxing nights. The contributions from the two remixers couldn’t be more varied. The Norwegian acoustic duo The Kings of Convenience offer up their first remix attempt with gusto – maintaining the essence of the track, but transforming it into a fully fledged pop song with added layers of acoustic guitar and Norwegian vocals. Matthew Herbert’s remix is another Herbert winner – chopped up and beautifully addictive. Essential.
DAVE OLSON AND SCOTT RADKE : Art fucks and hoodlums - Parotic - 2 x 12" £9.99
Great double pack from this Chicago label, home of last week's fine Mr Projectile twelve. Touching a fine nuschool kit claytonish dubby furrow, this has all the longing of dub with the sophisticated textures of modern electronics. forgiveable elders could be snd, a rippling rhythm, reduced as you like. cello m20 sounds like prime period bernard herrmann, wonderfully developed, almost psychotic textures with some appropriate worrying bass wobbles. pablo actually sounds more like rhythm and sound than their new release, all hissing and blissed out half speed dubwise, very nice. The second twelve in the pack is even better, some frighteningly intense basslines, plenty of developments with a real serious late night early hours vibe to them. Clubby as chuff and very excellent.
JOSHUA TREBLE : Joshua Treble – Pitchcadet CD £12.99
The finest release on the label to date, Pitchcadet return in a blaze of originality with this fantastic full length from Joshua Treble. The scene is set perfectly with the opening ‘Rewind’ - 60 seconds in comforting slivers of reverbed accoustic guitar that form like a ghostly apparition, before ‘All we ever flaunted’ slips in – a full bodied display of treated guitars and backward edits, once again bringing to mind the revered Fennesz circa ‘Plays’. ‘Confess This Mess’ finds us in more familiar Pitchcadet territory – crushing broken beats and a waterfall of warmth, the accoustic interjecting to sound like a more ethereal Casino Versus Japan. The rest of the album is judged to perfection – an interplay between developed electronic fractures and delicate accoustic flows, doing so with remarkable aptitude : one minute crystalising into the metalic decimated hip hop of ‘Batchi 5754’, the next releasing catharsis flows with the warm accoustic washes of ‘Sentiment is Piss’. Highly recommended ineed.
KAREEM : Druids – Zhark 12” £5.99
A Berlin label once again, and tunes by the man Kareem, responsible for the mighty Ramadan ep, listed here last week. In total contrast, this four tracker harks back to a dark mechanistic, industrial vision of the Berlin sound, circa Lux Nigra's immense No Movement No Sound No Memories. Still would sound amazing in one of those breezy big warehouse affairs they do so well, from a label worthy of further exploration.
MULTICAST PRESENTS : Further Obliq presents - K2O - LP £7.99
MULTICAST PRESENTS : Further Obliq presents - K2O - CD £12.99
Long time readers of this list will know that we’re big fans of Multicast and the Obliq crew here at the Neck. With a handful of EP releases behind them, last years fantastic debut LP ‘Rural Sessions’ paved the way for Multicast to get the deserved recognition for their homegrown brand of precise and shimmering electronic home listening music. This excellent collection of tracks brings together new and unreleased gems from all of the Obliq family – the aforementioned Multicast, Crix Madine, Ted Sturgeon and Freqmodif. Distancing themselves from the fractured/decimated school of electronic sound, all Obliq artists shine with the ability to combine warmth with space, at times employing the accoustic (as in the glorious sea breeze of Multicast’s opening ‘Spitfire’), and at times keeping to an old-skool electronic aesthetic that brings to mind Aphex at his most chilled out pop self (as in the exotic ‘..theme’ from Crix Madine, sounding not unlike ‘We Are The Music Makers’). This is extravagantly spacious stuff, deeply cinematic and often moving, making for an aesthetic and ideal that could be seen as the stateside equivalent to the UK’s Toytronic label. Highly Recommended.
PLUXUS : Agent tangent - Rocket Girl - CD £4.99
PLUXUS : Agent tangent - Rocket Girl - 12" £4.99
More loveliness from Sweden’s very cute Pluxus on this nice 5-tracker on Rocket Girl. Electropop is the name of the game, the kind of electropop that yr cuddly bear would like to sing along to..with tracks like ‘Der Fixar Jag’ endearing themselves to you with some floating analogisms and some softly softly beats. Child friendly throughout.
PROEM : Among others - N5MD Minidisc £10.99
The minidisc-only N5MD label return with their first artist full-length, a new album from Merck’s excellent Proem. ‘Among Others’ is another IDM monster, nosing around established electronic themes but doing so with much warmth and development of sound. ‘001’ introduces a solitary piano refrain to a ghostly synthline : beatless and precise, melancholy minus the sugar-coating. The oddly titled ‘Your grandfather is dead’ is devestating – a carefuly modulated and shockingly crisp beat, the usual spot-on melody interchange – nothing groundbreaking but essential listening for fans of deep electronic soundscaping. A comment which applies to much of the work here – keeping matters decidedly crisp and crunchy, IDM reminiscent of – Eog, Toytronic, Arovane, but done with great attention to detail and the ability to combine beat, melody and atmosphere with an effortless glow. Strong material throughout.
RESIDENT ALIEN / UNKNOWN : Florida Electro Artists Vol 2 - Frajile - 12" £6.99
2 tracks of highly fierce dancefloor electro. The Jackal and Hyde remix of artist unknown is the track for me, it's produced perfectly for the floor, and for playing loud. A slick beat covered with hard noises and distorted squeaks that builds really well, some nice breaks add to the floor groove. The Resident Alien track is well thought out, but doesn’t quite cut it, it's a tad overproduced, and seems half finished, but has a wicked beat for the deck wreckers to mash up.
TEAM SHADETEK : Swoon - Shadetek - 12" £6.99
The blistering team known as Shadetek from NYC are back with a vengance! Seriously killer material onboard, from the mashupattakk destroyer plastic hip hop of ‘Manana Negra’, bringing to mind the kind of intricate beatwork pioneered by the much-missed Lexaunculpt, to the DSP svagery of the awesome ‘Shortening’ - Gescom territory in full : broken beats, deep and jarring basslines, body shudders allround and that spine tingle you get with the right combination of low, mid and high-end. Devestating stuff. The flip gets with the jiggy - ‘Burndown’ somehow managing to sound like a precisely 50/50 split between Get yr Freak on and Push Button Objects perfect ‘Day In A Life’. The best is saved till last, however, with the immense ‘Get Up’ - once again holding the Push Button styles, but with a low down and dirty ragga-ish vibe and the finest in vocal cut and paste. Steaming hot essential! Limited to 300 copies for the world – each sleeve totally hand constructed, numbered and unique.
THE IRRESISTABLE FORCE : Space Is The Place - Cyclotron - 12" £6.99
A classic slice of ambient wizardry from one of the better known names in the genre - Mixmaster Morris. The Intergalactic ambient mix is not too far removed from a Coldcut remix, spattered with allusions to space and vocal samples of a launch countdown make it seem a tad dated, but if you know the track it brings back warm memories of a more innocent age of ambient. Add to the mix a well used breakbeat and the 'space is the place' vocal refrain, and this is still a wicked building track. The Interplanetary mix is the beatless version, with more synth swoops than Sven Vath, and a smooth bass rumble, it creates the epic atmosphere that a lot of ambient tried to reach, but never quite managed. This, however, is an awesome moment of analogue heaven, re-released to counter the effects of the modern digital hell. Essential.
THE ROGER TUBESOUND ENSEMBLE : Plays just notes - Rather Interesting - CD £12.99
Yes, Atom Heart is back !! A long time gone since his Pentatonic Surprise CD spun the world of digital jazz trickery on it's head. Mr Tubesound steps out of retirement once again to flex those fingers over his keyboards .45 mins of more of Atom Heart's genius for confounding expectations, here going on a Flanger tip but ejecting Burnt Freidman just so that Roger can do his thing. Roger's Back cut's a swing number into bit's, adding nifty electric piano licks and flailing rimshots left, right and centre. The album's Sun-Ra influences come to the fore on Dear Lost Listener like one of Sunny's 60's piano trio's shot into space and bounced back gathering all kinds of rhythmic displacement on it's voyage home, true cut up genius. Music (For The Library Of God) tips a nod into more abstract waters, piano lines, sampladelic's, stabs, rapid drum flurry's and a sublime / blissful ending.... here and in many other places this CD brings to mind the awesome Erik Satin CD (RI 052), in itself a huge compliment. Interchangable Intervals starts like a classic John Coltrane spiritual, solid double bass and searching drum shuffle's, then piano and rhodes to infinity and beyond / .... and finally the 20 min plus epic ...and plays just notes rounds things out travelling the spaceways / stretched time phases.... smoking tenor sax, hip and extra crazy... just the right side of genius. Possibly the finest RI release since Los Samplers, highly recommended for atomjunkies old and new. Train your brain!!
VARIOUS : Annexe : Cottage Industries 2 - Neo Ouija - 2LP £10.99
VARIOUS : Annexe : Cottage Industries 2 - Neo Ouija - 2CD £13.99
Second label compilation from Lee Norris’s Neo Ouija label – this time bringing together a massive 24 tracks across two CD’s from : Eu, Funckarma, Sense, Bauri, Phonex, Ambidextrous, Proem, Kettel, Novel 23 and absolutely shitloads more. Electronic listening music in the loveliest sense – lots of crunchy beats and buttered melodies, the flow is superb with standouts coming from Sense with the sublime opening strains of ‘Icyltap’, the Hip-Hop Gescomisms of Qeshi’s ‘Schem’, Sica’s kindergarten lullaby ‘17llow’, and the beatless closer ‘Flaurent’ from Ilkae. Much loveliness throughout, so tuck in!
VARIOUS : Elektro Toolz Vol 1 - Shot Toolz - 12" £5.99
There are over 30 locked grooves on the 12", most of them are wicked Electro beats, perfect for mashing up, and all quite varied. Some are more sound-effect style grooves that are both hit and miss. On the flip side are some atmospheric ambient style backing tracks, which are o.k. But pale in comparison to some of the beats offered on the a -side. The bod's behind this infectious battle weapon are Rob Acid, DJ Goodgroove, M. Lahr, DJ Dash, Dj Dry, Dj Baeks and about 4 other artists. Arm yourselves and deploy weapons.
VARIOUS : Other Animals - Couchblip - CD £8.99
The Australians are doing it once again, the loveably named Couchblip crew kick off their journey into the unknown with a strong compilation CD featuring mostly new and exclusive tracks from : Funkstorung, Plod, +One, Fibla, Novel 23, Yee King, 8 Bit Orchestra as well as homegrown talent - Pretty Boy Crossover, Pellarin, Disjunction Reunion, Robokoneko, Ckid and many more. As for the established artists - Fibla reunites with some earthy, mechanoid percussion and deep melodic textures, while Funkstorung’s ‘Test’ keeps the syncopation to a minimum and gives up a tasty crunch-up of half recognised melodies and pops. The Plaid produced +One once again keep to the Black Dog aesthetic with a fruity little number – melancholic jangles and interesting time changes, all in perfect midtempo. Russia’s Novel 23 come flying with ‘Figure’ - a delicious hybrid of electropop and velvet synths, deliciously electroid and addictive – a standout track here. Plod, meanwhile, go the Arovane route with some blue mood electronix and lovely tinkles, while Rephlex signees Yee King finish things off in suitably spannered style. The real revelation on this comp, however, are the gems offered up by the local Aussie talent, notably the mouth watering Toytronicisms of Disjunction Reunion, the schoolyard electronic b-breaks of the excellent Pretty Boy Crossover, and the delicate music box twinkles of Reef Project. Strong throughout, keep a close eye on this label!
VARIOUS : Emoticon Sampler Three - Emoticon - 12" £5.99
Wrapping up the sampler series with the 3rd and final installment, Emoticon pull it off again. Kicking off with a track from Connective Zone, last heard of on the discontinued A13 label (Mark Broom, Baby Ford, Black dog, et al). The track's title is 'Hubpie', the gist is a cross of Detroit warmth, and a bucket of funk! A lush amalgamation of analogue washes with a mid tempo beat, a very soulful introduction to their new material. Next up, one of the best tracks I have heard on Emoticon. Jeff Samuel (Detroits 7th City, Lo-Fi Stereo) arrives with an awesomely deep sojourn into underwater aquatics. Think of Drexciya inhabiting the warm Caribbean waters instead of the cold Atlantic, cosy droplets of sound mingle around a tricky little beat, I don’t want a sampler, I want an LP after hearing this track. On the flip arrives Scape one of Mass Transit and Electrix fame. A vintage Juno sound bounces around the speakers, underlined with a swooping synth noise washing in and out. Shades of Duran Duran are in the sounds, (the good shades of DD!) and the rest of the track fits quite nicely, one to watch. Lastly Schmutzig clear things up with an old school Detroit-esque number, Plaid like melodies play around a funky 808 beat, all held in with an ace bassline. Emoticon rules!
MICRO-HOUSE / TECHNO / CHAIN REACTION / CLICKS & CUTS
DCP : Chrome EP - Schallplatten - 12" £5.99
A three tracker for this new label's third release, managing to pair up the housed up dubby delayed delights of arabicum, with the more restrained drift and pulse of tonikum. The title cut rounds off a useful floor friendly 12” with a heavily arpeggiated old school synth line and enough subbass and other facets beneath the surface to keep you hooked.
DJ DASH_3ST AKA DJ DRY : Rampe D Toolz - Shot Toolz - 2LP £10.99
This doublepack of locked grooves assembles mostly wicked techno loops. From hard as hell beats to click house, electro drops, synth rhythm's, track loops. They’re all featured on here, some are very reminiscent of Jeff Mills, Rob Hood, Mike Ink, U.R., Basic Channel, and almost all are superb tools for the DJ to use. Overall there are 114 loops and one small atmospheric track, well worth the purchase, 12 albums worth of tracks condensed into 2 pieces of vinyl, and dying to be used.
FAX : Resonantes - Traum - 12" £5.99
There is so much music coming out of Germany at the moment, Cologne in particular, that it's not hard to miss things. But, if you’ve been following
Traum then you are well on your way to getting some of the top shit that’s available. Fax drop a 12” of awesome blissed out grooves, all 4 tracks are
superb examples of house/techno hybrids. The subtleties on this 12" are expertly crafted into the tracks, be they transient bass swoops, ethnic pipe
sounds, or dubbed out percussion. All the arrangments and sounds are built almost to perfection. The atmosphere in the tracks is very fresh, and
doesn’t fit into any cliché....all that remains is for you to do is fight for a copy.
FRANK MARTINIQ : Schwingkomplex - Boxer - 2LP £12.99
FRANK MARTINIQ : Schwingkomplex - Boxer - CD £12.99
Two straight years since his debut album Pmf Acht woke us up to one seriously talented producer. Having that special touch that twists existing styles and formulas into something fresh and oozing quality. Enter into the Schwingkomplex : funked up click house meets deep jazzed harmonics and kicking rhythms, even when a hammond b3 organ sinks into click house it works wonders. If you'll imagine the killer klick-kick of Akufen delving into more traditional funk patterns, and more widescreen sound scaping then you'll have this album pumping thorough your stereo. Ten tracks, one hour.... vinyl leaves off the truly awesome Adriano, but worry not we still have a few copies available on 12". Truly superb.
GRAIN : Untitled - Fat Cat - 12" £4.99
5 track 12” on Fat Cat from percussive tech-housers Grain. For those who are less than familiar, Grain represents the funky, percussive, techno/house influenced club side of Fatcat whose previous sought after 12" releases have influenced artists throughout the world. His supporters range from Jeff Mills and Richie Hawtin to the likes of Armand Van Helden and Danny Tenaglia. As usual with Grain there are no track titles. The 12” consists of 5 minimal, percussive, club tracks ranging from the techno influenced analogue house of A1, to the short ethereal sci-fi soundbite of A2; B1 veers even further towards the house end of the spectrum, with B2 delving into Moodyman territory. B3 closes the 12” with the customary Jerky Boys style prank call.
I LINER : Beltway - Parallel - 12" £5.99
The continuation of the re-release of Parallel's back catalogue reveals more gems. Kit Clayton, man of many guises, appears with Jason Williams as I-Liner. The sound of the first track 'Beltway' (mix 1), is quite close to where Delsin are at, Detroit influenced melodic techno. Warm, jazzy, yet floor friendly at the same time, bending synth's flutter across the speakers, warm string pads reinforce the melody, and some deft percussion fits perfectly around the keys. 'S-Bahn' is a lot straighter, less effects, very tight and funky, and minimal noises to boot. All this edges the track more towards Rob Hood’s area of Detroit. 'Beltway' (mix 2), is far removed from the first mix. Utilising a badass drum break and a really old school acid bassline, it kicks into a wicked groove. Adding the strings and a little synth line completes the track, imagine Juan Atkins having a battle with 808 State and your close. 'Improvisation with static rhythm' is another thing altogether, straight into the nu-skool electro groove. Robotic bleeps coupled with classic drums break to introduce a simple but effective bass line and some almost mournful synth's. Extremely varied yet rooted in techno, Parallel have given us a second chance to catch these goodies.
OTOMI : Zusammen - Emoticon - 12" £5.99
Emoticon have a knack of finding and procuring new artists that sound like established producers. There's no change with Otomi, heading into more
minimal territory than a lot of Emoticon releases, though without losing any of the warmth or soul. ‘Zusammen’ is a lush, hammond driven groover. Not quite hitting dancefloor speed, it builds slowly but perfectly into a full soulful number, warm chord stabs with shuffling drums make a great combination. ‘Vertrauen’ heads of into Dan Curtin territory, low down filtered pads, 909 toms and kicks making the rhythm. The first break introduces some jazzy keys that only really happen when the beat drops back in, and by then you start to notice the bassline, subtle but perfect. A keychange half way through the track adds to the Jazz feel, and also shows off a little more of their skill, 'keep it up' is all I can add.
R0N ALBRECHT : Tokyo Transfer Electronic Parament 12" £5.99
New from the electronic parliament stable, tokyo transfer on the lead off sports its classic dub techno stylings well, going into an excelent slalom section when the eq action starts, wringing some genuinely sinister sounds and moods out of the mix. docklands on the flipper side, takes a starker approach, but the snaking analogue synth gets truly fat as the tune progresses, and the double bassline makes for a piece of mammoth technofunk.
RHYTHM AND SOUND : We been troddin - Burial mix - 10" £5.99
Jah! Oh yes, we need our Burial Mix fix on a regular basis and Rhythm and Sound never...ever...ever...fail to deliver! Employing the vocal talent of (Sugar Minnot Vocalist) Shalom, aka Stephen Harper, Mark and Moritz keep on keepin on with another gorgeous and devestatingly deep dose of smokey goodness. The future dub of Rhythm and Sound is finally managing to receive the widespread recognition it has so fully deserved since Basic Channel turned itself inside out, so it’s reassuring that with every new Burial Mix release the boundries of deep are pushed just that little bit further. Employing a simmilar Riddim to the awesome ‘King In My Empire’, ‘We Been Troddin’ sees a much cleaner sound for Rhythm and Sound, the trademarked space echo hiss has been momentarily done away with – emerging into the clean with pure bassline rumbles and the whispers of organ stammers left to rotate round and round your head. The vocal is suitably sweet, but play the ‘Version’ to suit deep narcosis. Awesome.
ROMAN FLUGEL PRESENTS : Tracks on delivery - Ongaku - 12" £5.99
Other than being one half of Alter Ego, Sensorama and Acid Jesus, and running the awesome Klang Electronik label, you wouldn’t think he had time to do any solo work! Fresh from remixing the last Human League 12" (All I Ever Wanted, on Klang Electronik) with his long term partner Jorn 'Elling' Wuttke, Roman drops 4 'patterns' of his own on the Ongaku imprint. 'Pattern 9' is a wicked club track, watery percussive elements mingle with the 4/4, overlaid with bleeps and cut up noises, and a huge bass noise that modulates throughout - only becoming full flowing two thirds through. 'Pattern 10' is a little bolder and squelchier. Creative use of analogue squeaks and rumbles creates a wicked pattern, there are little fills in the drums and synth's that give the track an almost breaky feel, without losing the 4/4 element. 'Pattern 11' is the driving force on this 12". In the first 8 bars before the percussion drops you know it's a winner. Killer 303 blips groove like a monster, arpeggiated drops combine with these to give a real busy feel and the percussion adds to the rolling effect created by the synths. Lastly, 'Pattern 12' is the funk bomb! There are 2 melodic elements, a bass line and some chord washes, backed by Roman's classic techno percussion. The bassline is too good, funk driven, watery, and perfect for a 4/4 beat, the breaks and the chord stabs add to the stepping motion of the track, a very fine example of techno in the higher realms, buy!
TAYLOR DEUPREE : Print Audio.Nl 12" £5.99
12K label-head Taylor Deupree makes a welcome appearance on the excellent Audio.NL imprint. ‘3.1.’ Heads us off into the minimal territory Taylor has become known for. 4/4 kick drums pad along, followed by a creeping whistle-like synth line that reminds me of early Sahko output. Quite dark and reduced to a bare minimum, this isnt a track you can flip through because the noises are forever changing and swinging around the beat. ‘3.15’ is more simple, but half way through some real sounding percussion pans across the speakers in a tricky little formation. '3.2.', starting with tuned kick drums that have a real swing to them, Taylor continues by adding glass-like minimal percussion that only reinforces the swing. The pattern programming is very slick as the kicks switch places every now and again to the off-beat. 3.8. Follows the same road, extremely reduced noises, with bell like tones echoing around the 4/4. As with the other tracks the noises are extremely subtle, and underpin the melody that is present throughout the track. Subtlety is the key here, if your familiar with Dan Bell DBX, then you know the funk is always there, even in the most minimal of arrangements.
VARIOUS : Cologne Porn Filez - Djungle fever - 12" £5.99
The return of one of the most underground names in 90's techno, Djungle fever, heralds a tour de force for some of Germany's best exports. Utilising the tools of such artists as Michael Mayer (Kompakt), Jorg Burger (Eat Raw,The Modernist, Bionaut) Rienhard Voigt (Kompakt), Mike Ink (Force inc, Studio one, Profan, Gas), and Triple R. There are 5 tracks of uptempo, funky and quite bouncy techno, not the best description for these tracks as it makes them sound cheesy, which they most definitely are not. But it fits all the same, 5 artists with more experience than most, all dropping tracks of great pedigree and bringing a triumphant return to Djungle fever.
EXPERIMENTAL / AVANT GARDE
ANTENNA FARM AND MAIN : AF_M - Brombron - CD £11.99
AF_M is the result of a collaboration between Main (Robert Hampson, formerly of Loop and Godflesh) and Antenna Farm (David Howell and Alastair Leslie). As the very first artists in Staalplaat's new Brombron series, both artists were kindly invited to spend a week living and working at the Extrapool studio in Nijmegen, to collaborate together, and then release the results on a CD. These recordings were made utilising a variety of tools - Powerbooks, contact microphones, guitars, mixing desk, fx, and and field recordings gathered from around Nijmegen. The three of them spent long hours in the studio working alone processing sounds, and then coming together at the end of each day to improvise collectively with them. Becoming increasingly focussed, these improvised sessions were recorded directly down onto DAT. At the end of the week (July 7th - 13th, 2000), they returned to London with around 3 and a half hours worth of music. After a short break, they came together again at Robert's studio in Croydon and began to isolate sections and edit together this material (again on powerbook). This editing was simple and truthful to the original recordings - no new sections were added, there was no reprocessing done. They simply isolated what was felt were the strongest recorded sections and then bolted these together. There were some crossfades created, but everything was kept in chronological order. The resulting audio coheres into a focussed document that slips from extreme quiet to scratchy, crackly ambience, drone passages, and occasional bursts of a more violent nature. Not something that works as a background music, the 5 tracks have been carefully placed together and require close listening.
BOURBONESE QUALK : On Uncertainty - Korm Plastics - CD £11.99
Final emergence from hibernation of Bourbonese Qualk. A group who originated in the UK in the early 1980s and remained at the forefront of experimental music in europe for the next decade. Bourbonese Qualk were never a purely electronic band, but incorporated 'traditional' acoustic instruments and musical forms alongside computers and synthesisers. Bourbonese Qualk were known for their anarchist political views and involvement in events such as the Stop The City and Trafalgar riots in London and the underground political scene in eastern europe before the fall of the Berlin wall. Bourbonese Qualk are back and it sounds like they were never away. On Uncertainty is their new studio album, displaying their skills with ambient like guitar pieces, funky beat driven electronic rhythmical soundscapes - sketches with noise. Bourbonese Qualk after two decades remain true to their original sound.
CAPTAIN BEEFHEART : Grow fins Vol 3 - Table of the elements - 2LP £18.99
Long awaited third & final vinyl edition from the glorious CD box set. You know the score.......
CHRISTIAN WOLFF : Burdocks - Tzadik - CD £13.49
For half a century legendary scholar Christian Wolff has created a very personal musical response to John Cage&Mac226;s challenging experiments and three of his most distinctive compositions receive inspiring performances here by a collection of San Francisco and New York&Mac226;s best and most imaginative performers. Fred Frith, Joan Jeanrenaud, Bob Ostertag, Miya Masaoka and Stephen Drury are just a few of the remarkable players percussion virtuoso William Winant has brought together to pay tribute to the fascinating work of this conceptual visionary, who performs at the piano with an all-star ensemble on his most famous composition Burdocks.
DAVID GRUBBS : Act 5, Scene 1 - Blue Chopsticks - CD £12.99
Act Five, Scene One is an hour-long instrumental piece that features the trio of David Grubbs, Tony Conrad, and Dan Brown. You'll find it divided into four psychedelically digestible fifteen-minute slices. Ah, the places you'll go - it's an hour of sawing and banging and riffing and cutting and (let's not mince words) shapeshifting. What the hell. . . here are a few possible reference points: Brian Eno's Music for Films and Discreet Music; Rodney Graham's Verwandlungsmusik; Workshop's longer pieces; Sun Ra (New Stream mode); The Fall (but languorous and wordless); Bruce Witsiepe's guitar sound on the first Circle X record. Also highway driving (solitary); a pinball game; a dream about breathing underwater. Adventures a plenty from Grubb's on his own label, Blue Chopsticks.
NOTO : endless loop addition (2) - Raster Noton - 2 x 10" £12.99
Raster Noton return with another mouthwatering piece of applied art, Carsten Nicolai’s journey as Noto continuing to delve into intriguing conceptual territory. ‘Endless Loop Edition No.2’ sticks to the vinyl manipulation concepts championed by the likes of Janeck Schaefer, supplying us with two gorgeous transparent 10”s – each one containing numerous locked grooves. There are also two centre holes provided – one for centre and one for off-centre modulated play. The first of the 10”s contains isolated tones and bleeps that change and shift when played off-centre, the second 10” offering fuller rhythmic extensions, clicks looped and repeated to form a beat piece of construction. Off centre play offers up intriguing time changes, and when combined with the isolated tones acts as a kind of DIY clicks and cuts set for beginers and experts alike. Hours of experimentation for all the family, aged 8-80. Fascinating stuff.
ROSY PARLANE : Getxo - Sigma Editions - CD £9.99
The tenth sigma release comes four years after sigma, 001: Parlane's #1-4. Getxo, shows the recognizable Parlane sensibility; an interest in sublimity, minor keys and mesmerizing repetition. versa, with its simple repeated four note phrase, degenerates over the course of the track, ending in an enveloping, ever stronger fuzz. elements of wolfgang voigt's majestic Gas project are strong, as is the influence felt from recent work with the mighty fennesz. Getxo is lighter, looser, takes itself less seriously. Since making #1-4 Parlane has shifted from relatively lo-fi techniques of construction to the digital realm of computer music and this shift in technology is reflected in the intricacy and quality of the sounds. #1-4's dark and urgent rumblings have been superceded by crispness and clarity. the bell-like tones sustain in a beautiful way in pinxit and are then completely dissembled for the title track. The climate at the moment is perfect for the evolved and evolving Parlane aesthetic. seductive and affecting, full of quiet and not quiet catches and hooks, so easy that the difficulty is camouflaged. Excellent release.
VIBRACATHEDRAL ORCHESTRA : The one you call the ghost train - Tonschacht - 7" £4.99
Treading the free music boards, the Vibracathedral orchestra come on like fugitive members of an American and Irish folk group on the a side, then clashing noisily with Sonny Sharrock and a herd of blustering elephants on the b side. Check.
HIP-HOP / ABSTRACT HIP-HOP
AESOP ROCK : Daylight - Definitive Jux - CD £7.99
Vinyl shamefully did'nt even hit the shop floor before it went (hoping for a few more copies next week) but fear not the CD version has an extra three exclusive tracks plus Maintenance from the Coma 12". Daylight was one of the many many highlights fromn Labor Days Aes Rock mixing the rough with the smooth, genius melodies, samples... more magic from Blockhead. Night Light mellows the verbal flow so much you can nearly keep up. Block's beat is very simple but heavy, a minimal track but creaping tension keep the defness intact. Vast Aire rips it on Nickel Plated Pockets rapping from the pinnacle of hypeness, beyond. El-P drops a off beat rhythm and atmospherics equal to anything on the Cold Vain. Alchemy samples live drum's threatening a jazz assault but then adopting a Audio Two tribute, Top Billin' for total wreck's. Damn what's that jazz sample, Art Blakey??? shit!! Forest Crunk is a nifty vibration soaked interlude then Bracket Basher concludes... after Maintenance finshes though stay sat for another ten minutes and you'll get a neat hidden track for your efforts. Crushing material, as per usual from Def Jux and Aesop Rock.
EL P : Stepfather factory - Definitive Jux - 12" £5.99
The complete rebirth and revigoration of the El-P is almost complete. After the earth quaking Company Flow finally called it a day the heart of this always pushing the limits crew sank his soul into setting up one of the most crucial hip labels on the planet, the Definitive Jux. After universal props for the godlike Aesop Rock and Cannibal Ox albums it's time for the honcho to step up and put this sissy world to task. Vocal, censored, instrumental and accapella versions on this 12". The accapella is where I started and I could listen to these words 4 ever. Truly thought provoking and intense knowledge dropped. As for the music, the work on Cannibal Ox's Cold Vain is equally matched with even more extreme sonics in the mix. This is a one pressing only 12” which is more than likely sold out by the time i'm writing this. With the crucially named album Fantastic Damage due for a summer release 2002 and the forthcoming RJD2 full length also due soon, 2002 (as 2001) is again the year of the Jux'.
MYSTIKAL : Tarantula - Zomba - 2LP £11.99
Porably the best hip hop album to have.... no i'm joking.... my mom's just commented 'this is rubbish', do I agree... errr let's be more critical. This so called thugged street (ha ha!!) rap (no relation to hip hop) is so far up it's own arse it's laughable. If it was funny though, as this stuff can be, then we'd be onto somthing special but we ain't. Which is a shame really as the production is prime booty deep, funked to the max and full of inginuity, shame they switched my mic's on. Of course the two Neptunes joints are the best and lead Mys away from the guttershite. Nice to review abums like this for once, am I wrong or am I out of touch... i'd rather spend an evening with Britney and Brandy anyday. Bring on the girls. Uberwhack.
ROUNDTABLE MC'S : Table manners - B9000 - 12" £5.99
Excellent EP of cuts lifted from the ‘Table Manners’ CD released last year. San Diego’s Rountable MC’s follow a fine tradition of highly creative West
Coast emcees a la Freestyle Fellowship. A trippy analogue bass groove carries the opening cut into some dizzying rhymes that only draw comparison
with the finer moments of Souls of Mischief. From there it’s on to animal cuts and (ch)easy listening loop on the excellent ‘Steady Rockin’. Bringing
up the rear is the dark ‘Day2.0’, lo-fi beats and apocalyptic samples give this last cut a truly heavy atmosphere. Rock solid Hip Hop from a talented
and innovative crew. Check, check y’hear?
FUNK / FUTURE FUNK / JAZZY BEATS / HOUSE / DISCO
ELI GOULART E BANDA DO MATO : Meu Samba - Seven Up - 7" £4.99
The ace reissue specialists Seven Up return on a fiery Latin tip. The first of two new releases comes from the obscure Eli Goulart and his seven piece Banda do Mato. Samba is the word as the band steam through the track with a typically fiery verve. Also included is a remix from Nicola Conte who smoothes the track out into a Compost style groove with the vocals high in the mix. Sexy Latin styles and it’s not even summer! Class.
SHIRLEY SCOTT : Soul sauce - Seven Up - 7" £4.99
The second of this week’s offerings from Seven Up is a another Latin winner. Shirley Scott’s version of Dizzy’s ‘Soul Sauce’ has been burning up discerning dancefloors for a couple of years now. It is lifetd from the amazing ‘Latin Shadows’ LP on Impulse, as is the b side companion ‘Hanky Panky’. Both cuts are prime slices of mid-sixties Bossa pop and are simply irresistable hum along groovers. With releases like these Seven Up have kept their impeccable standards as high as ever. Superb.
INDIE/LO-FI/POST-ROCK/ACCOUSTIC
CORNELIUS : Drop - Matador - 12" £4.49
CORNELIUS : Drop - Matador - CD £4.49
Seriously long-awaited new material from the fabulous Cornelius! With its atmospheric setting against a watery background, ‘Drop’ is the first single to be lifted from ‘Point’, the new LP from Cornelius. It’s a folk-tinged, harmony driven track splattered with beats and loops, a beautifully crafted, exquisite song, ideal for lazy days and relaxing nights. The contributions from the two remixers couldn’t be more varied. The Norwegian acoustic duo The Kings of Convenience offer up their first remix attempt with gusto – maintaining the essence of the track, but transforming it into a fully fledged pop song with added layers of acoustic guitar and Norwegian vocals. Matthew Herbert’s remix is another Herbert winner – chopped up and beautifully addictive. Essential.
LAMBCHOP : Is A Woman - City Slang - 2LP £11.99
LAMBCHOP : Is A Woman - City Slang - CD £11.99
‘Is A Woman’ is Lambchop’s highly anticipated new album, coming almost two years to the day after the hugely successful ‘Nixon’. ‘Is A Woman’ is quite a departure from the lush strings of ‘Nixon’. It is described by engineer Marky Nevers as ‘Brian Eno meets Ray Charles!’. The songs were recorded live in the studio with a core of eight or nine players, with pianist Tony Crow providing the central focus to the music. Lambchop have yet again created a thing of rare beauty. The album contains perhaps the strongest set of songs frontman & songwriter Kurt Wagner has ever worked on. The languid pace allows the listener to absorb his detailed observations on what he calls “the richness of life.” The initial pressing of the CD will have an extra 3 track CD featuring previously unavailable tracks ‘This Corrosion’ (Sisters of Mercy cover) ‘Backstreet Girl’ (Rolling Stones cover) and ‘UTI’. The double vinyl will be on superior 180gsm .
VARIOUS : All Tomorows Parties - 1.1 - ATP - 2LP £13.99
VARIOUS : All Tomorows Parties - 1.1 - ATP - CD £10.99
Finally available on vinyl. This is the first year that ATP has staged an event in America and, curated by Sonic Youth, this compilation is being released to precede the event staged at UCLA Campus in March 2002 . The event features performances from Sonic Youth themselves along with Aphex Twin, Ron Asheton of the Stooges, Sleater-Kinney, Stereolab, Stephen Malkmus, Television, Wilco and Big Star, Cecil Taylor, Papa M and Cat Power . This festival which has been a success in England for three years has encouraged artists to contribute Exclusive and Unreleased tracks for this compilation. Trcakscome from - Sonic Youth, Unwound, Stephen Malkmus, Stereolab, Bardo Pond, Cat Power, Papa M, Cannibal Ox, Dead C, Boredoms, Kevin Drumm and Satans Tornade.
DUB / REGGAE
KING TUBBY : The dub organiser - Black Solidarity - LP £8.99
Fine one volume overview of mid seventies Tubby greatness, dubs to Johnny Clarke, Horace Andy and more. Prime period dubs every one, warm wet and developed dubs - really the master.
LEE PERRY : Dub around the world - Sprint - LP £8.99
You'll find this release criticized in more than one of the reggae guides around. the lack of proper titles makes things difficult, and there is the air of the genuine out take, but there are frequent gems - the highlight of which is a super rare cut of the almighty java rhythm, with augustus pablo flying over some very prime perry indeed. many of the tunes are black ark recordings, and this release ironically has more genuine nuggets than the compiler volume 1 from last week.
RHYTHM AND SOUND : We been troddin - Burial mix - 10" £5.99
Jah! Oh yes, we need our Burial Mix fix on a regular basis and Rhythm and Sound never...ever...ever...fail to deliver! Employing the vocal talent of (Sugar Minnot Vocalist) Shalom, aka Stephen Harper, Mark and Moritz keep on keepin on with another gorgeous and devestatingly deep dose of smokey goodness. The future dub of Rhythm and Sound is finally managing to receive the widespread recognition it has so fully deserved since Basic Channel turned itself inside out, so it’s reassuring that with every new Burial Mix release the boundries of deep are pushed just that little bit further. Employing a simmilar Riddim to the awesome ‘King In My Empire’, ‘We Been Troddin’ sees a much cleaner sound for Rhythm and Sound, the trademarked space echo hiss has been momentarily done away with – emerging into the clean with pure bassline rumbles and the whispers of organ stammers left to rotate round and round your head. The vocal is suitably sweet, but play the ‘Version’ to suit deep narcosis. Awesome.
ERSATZ AUDIO : BACK CATALOGUE IN STOCK
ADULT : Dispassionate Furniture - Ersatz Audio - 12" £5.99
The debut 12" single from Adult. Contains 5 tracks, each one dedicated to the estranged relationships that we develop between furniture and their masters. The moveables in our homes that we walk by each day unnoticing, until they refuse to be ignored. The lyrics tell the tales of ergonomically inhumane encounters, while the music pushes us to the limits of synthetics. It’s Adult, it rules.
ADULT : Entertainment - Ersatz Audio - 12" £5.99
Adult’s second 12”, and another winner.. Kuperus and Vulpine have finally accepted their role as entertainers with 4 dynamic and potent songs that they themselves define as 'popular music for dancing'. Dance on kids.
ADULT : Nausea - Ersatz Audio - 12" £5.99
5 upbeat adrenaline-filled songs fusing a numbing combination and knowledge of the vocabulary used in electronic dance music. Sing along to addictive melodies with songs about Haptephobia, Philophobia and Tapinophobia. Another winner.
ADULT : Resuscitation - Ersatz Audio - CD £11.99
Resuscitation's music defies easy genre categorizing by manipulating the essence of early '70's punk, the sound palette of '80's electro-pop and the dance intensity of '90's techno. Combining their knowledge and love for these genres, Adult has created their own sound that is both knowledgeable and immediate. Whether you are singing along to the infectious 'Contagious' or moving your body to their smash hit 'Hand To Phone', you’ll get more and more addicted with every listen. Listen and find out what all the hype’s about.
ARTIFICIAL MATERIAL / THIRD ELECTRIC : Duologue EP - Ersatz Audio - 12" £6.99
BOLZ BOLZ : Wersitime - Ersatz Audio - 12" £6.99
LE CAR : Remixed - Ersatz Audio - 12" £6.99
After 4 renowned 12" releases of their own, Le Car has hired some of the best mechanics around to overhaul 4 previous Le Car models from the 90s. Here you'll find Le Car with a new paint job, an added spoiler and ground effects, a new stylish interior, and of course a new sound system for increased bass effect. As an added bonus, a never before released Le Car track from 1996, 'Audiofile 11', has been added to the bill. Remixers include: G.D. Luxxe, EDMX, DJ Godfather, and Ectomorph.
LE CAR : Auto-biography - Ersatz Audio - CD £11.99
After 4 renowned 12" releases, plus their current remix 12", here is a full length anthology of the ground breaking career of Le Car. Featuring a collection of tracks from all their releases, including music from the long out-of-print Automatic mini LP on Craft Records, a division of Sabotage Communications, this is a must have for audiophiles everywhere. This CD includes many exclusive tracks and edits never before released. 2 bonus tracks, including a CD version remix by G.D.Luxxe, conclude this CD... but keep listening, there just might be a hidden 24th track! Le Car is credited as one of the first bands to fuse true underground Detroit Electro with European Synth-pop of the 80's.
PERSPECTS : Desire and efficiency - Ersatz Audio - 12" £6.99
1999 release, the debut EP from Le Car cofounder Ian R. Clark. Perspects invites you to listen to the effects of maximum convenience on the present-day human mind. What we feel in lieu of our modern, supplanted emotions in the domain of Desire & Efficiency. These grey areas make it a music of contradictions: sterile & emotional, sincere & sarcastic, dead serious & tongue-in-check. "Love" songs about the things we substitute for our love reflexes. Largesse.
VARIOUS : Oral Olio : An history of tomorrow - Ersatz Audio - 12" £6.99
Vocal oriented comp featuring Adult, Gerhard Potuznik, Kitbuilders and Perspects. Awesome new-electro, including a Joy Division cover!
VARIOUS : The forgotten sounds of tomorrow - Ersatz Audio - CD £11.99
This compilation encapsulates the music of Ersatz Audio from its inception (1995). Features tracks by: Adult, Le Car, Perspects, Bolzbolz, Artificial Material, Fastgraph, Platez, G.D. Luxxe, Third Electric, Lessening Lesson, Kitbuilders and First Mode.
HEFTY : BACK CATALOGUE IN STOCK
ALUMINUM GROUP : Pelo - Hefty CD £10.99
ALUMINUM GROUP : Pelo - Hefty LP £8.99
Pelo is the fourth CD from the Aluminum Group and the first on Hefty records. New label: new direction: new support system: new opportunities. Pelo took two months to compose and construct. A collaboration with John Herndon of Tortoise and Isotope 217. Further examination of song, melody, rhythm, structure. Expansion lyrical, instrumental and combinations thereof. Those are the things that interest Frank & John Navein and John Ridenour. Pelo was mixed with this in mind by John McEntire and John Herndon at Soma. Musicians appearing on the record include Jeff Parker, John Herndon, Doug McCombs, Rob Mazurek, John McEntire, and Sally Timms.
BENEATH AUTUMN SKY : Enki-Du's Mono EP - Hefty CD £6.99
BENEATH AUTUMN SKY : Enki-Du's Mono EP - Hefty 12" £5.99
The increasingly good and influential Hefty label bring us yet another excellent release in the form of a superb five track Mini-LP from Beneath Autumn Sky. The instrumental hip-hop duo BAS formed in the summer of 2000 when Smaze (best known for his work in the world of graffiti art) arrived in Jacksonville, Florida where he hooked up with his old pal and comrade DJ Zane3. They quickly set up shop in the back quarters of a dive record store where they were surrounded by towers of dusty records full of treasure breaks. They dug deep through it all, taking notes along the way. The duo’s methods differed dramatically - from making beats via pause button/4-track trickery to the old skool routine of cutting and pasting tape loops. Following a hook up with man of the moment Scott Herren (Savath+Savalas, Prefuse 73, Delrosa & Asora), B.A.S had their sound refined. The point where Electronica meets Hip Hop is reached with absolute ease as the opening bars of ‘Skyheadings’ delve into an untouchable, double bass driven groove. The backbeat, plaintive funk of ‘Meditations’ eases in next with subtle beat programming keeping the groove on point. Track three comes in the form of ‘A recollection’, an atmospheric almost beatless track carried by tender chromatic percussion. The Hip Hop ethos slams in soon after in the form of the breakbeat driven and effortlessly funky ‘Creep’. The closing ‘Zealots awaken’ has a melody with the kind of touch that evokes with little effort. A superbly concieved mini-album that finely tunes the growing production of Hip-Hop/Electronica crossover music and imbues it with a deep sense of organic depth.
BILL DING : And The Sound Of Adventure - Hefty CD £10.99
BILL DING : Trust In God, But Tie Up Your Camel - Hefty CD £10.99
CHISEL.DRILL.HAMMER : Chisel.Drill.Hammer - Hefty CD £6.99 / 12" £5.99
EUPHONE : Euphone - Hefty CD £10.99
EUPHONE : Breakin Parole - Hefty CD £6.99 / 12" £5.99
ILIUM : Plexiglass Cube EP - Hefty CD £6.99 / 12" £5.99
ILIUM : Paint By Numbers EP - Hefty CD £6.99 / 12" £5.99
JOHN HUGHES : Scarlet Diva OST - Hefty CD £10.99
Scarlet Diva, an Italian film written, directed, and starring Italian superstar Asia Argento marks a return to the past for John Hughes. Asia Argento, the daughter of cult/horror legend, Dario Argento is best known for her acting career. She has starred in several of her father's films, including Phantom of the Opera, The Stendal Syndrome, and Trauma. Includes collaborations with John Mcentire (Tortoise, Sea & Cake) & the legendary Phil Ranelin (jazz trombonist and co-founder of Detroit's infamous Tribe Records - 1970's).
JOHN MCENTIRE : Reach The Rock OST - Hefty CD £10.99
1998 soundstrack with original score composed, produced and performed by John Mcentire. Also features tracks from: Tortoise, Bundy K Brown, Sea and Cake, Polvo & Dianogah.
MONDII : T:P - Hefty CD £10.99
MONDII : T:P - Hefty LP £8.99
Naohiko Sugimoto (a.k.a. Mondii) comes from Chiba, Japan and is a Japanese avant noise artist - though not in the traditional sense. Mondii plays more with the electronic, a sculptor of clicks and beeps, rather than the loud and grinding noisecore most are known for. He is an experimentalist, weaving soundscapes and inorganic textures with little regard for structure or sequence. T:P was mixed and treated by John Hughes III.
PHIL RANELIN : Vibes From The Tribe - Hefty CD £10.99
PHIL RANELIN : Vibes From The Tribe - Hefty 2LP £12.99
PHIL RANELIN : The Time Is Now! - Hefty CD £10.99
PHIL RANELIN : The Time Is Now! - Hefty 2LP £12.99
Jazz trombonist Phil Ranelin was born and began his career in Indianapolis, where he met and played with jazz guitar legend Wes Montgomery at a local club called the Hub Bub. Here Ranelin also had the opportunity to play with other jazz legends such as Eddie Harris and Grant Green whenever they came through town. Later Ranelin relocated to Detroit in search of session work, where he had the opportunity to play with greats Marcus Belgrave and Pharoah Sanders. It was in Detroit where Ranelin met Wendell Harrision. Together they founded Tribe,an artist's collective of jazz musicians who ventured into the business and recording aspects of music in order to maintain more artistic control. While releasing records, Tribe also published their own magazine which featured social and politcal commentary and music reviews. It became a cultural phenomenon in Detroit. 'The word Tribe possessed near magic proportion when uttered in the African American community,' says Ranelin.While managing Tribe, he also worked as a Motown session player, playing on records for Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and The Temptations. Phil currently resides in Los Angeles where he still remains musically and culturally active. He was recently designated a 'Rare and Valuable Treasure' and a 'Cultural Ambassador' by the Mayor and City Council. Phil is readying himself live dates in support of the reissues. Phil Ranelin was contacted by John Hughes of Hefty last year to play on his soundtrack to the film Scarlet Diva. It was during this session that Ranelin first mentioned that he had the complete masters to his Tribe recordings. The project began to fall into place. Both albums were mixed from the original session tapes by engineer John McEntire (Tortoise, Sea and Cake, Reach the Rock soundtrack) late last year. They were fully restored and remixed true to the original masters, and both include previously unreleased bonus tracks and extended versions. This is the first time that they have been reissued in their entirety.
RETINA : Volcano Waves 1-8 - Hefty CD £10.99
RETINA : Volcano Waves 1-8 - Hefty LP £8.99
Retina is an avante-electronic-experimental-noise project that explores the boundries of digital music. Lino Monaco and Nicola Buono of Retina began making music as the Qmen in 1994, one of the first performing electronic groups of their kind in Pompeii, Italy. Lino explains that, 'the Pompeii volcano is a huge example of the natural energy ready to explode here. The people here have great energy, but because of the poor economic situation and cultural struggles, they can't turn it into positive activity'. He elaborates that he has 'a great fascination in the historic area', in which they work, 'which has a big influence on our experimental activity'. Retina's studio exists beside the ancient city of Pompeii, the city that was buried under the Vesuvio volcano 2000 years ago. They perform and improvise all of their material to DAT which is later transferred to the computer and re-edited
RETINA : Nulla - Hefty 12" £5.99
RETINA : Manifesto - Hefty 12" £5.99
RETINA : Strutture - Hefty - 12" £5.99
3 while label 12"s by Retina on Hefty, each limited to 500 copies.
SLICKER : Confidence in Duber - Hefty - CD £10.99
SLICKER : Remixes - Hefty CD £10.99
John Hughes III, former Bill Ding member and founder of the Hefty label is Slicker - a conceptual project based on experiment and ambience. With Remixes (based on the Confidence in Duber CD), Hughes sent out his alter-ego to an eclectic array of dance and electronic artists to put a new spin on an already sculptured record. The result is a surprisingly cohesive mix of sound and structure from these acclaimed remixers: Scott Herren's Savath + Savalis, the collaboration between electro-wizard Richard Devine and Scott Herren, better known as Delarosa + Devine; upstate NY's one man mix machine and member of the Dylan Group, Mice Parade (a.k.a. Adam Pierce); digital darlings Matmos, and from the colliding worlds of post rock, producer Casey Rice (Designer) with the Trenchmouth and Eternals singer Damon Locks, as Super ESP.
SLICKER : The Latest - Hefty CD £10.99
SLICKER : The Latest - Hefty LP £8.99
The Latest offering from Slicker finds John Hughes making a conscious, accessible shift in direction from his previous sound. John has been slowly developing his sound, while retaining his organic, hands on approach since his days as leadman for the eclectic pop group, Bill Ding. He has now come to fruition with Slicker, offering his most diverse and innovative recording to date. Although refined and minimal, The Latest manages to jar and peak attention. And most of all, it hits hard. The album features collaborations with Matmos (Matador), Telefon Tel Aviv, and Samadha Trio's Chris Case.
SLICKER : FrustRache EP - Hefty CD £6.99
SLICKER : FrustRache EP - Hefty 12" £5.99
FrustRache is the very first single taken from the well received & accomplished second full-length release by Slicker, entitled The Latest . FrustRache is a companion piece to the The Latest, featuring 2 new exclusive tracks by Slicker, along with impressive remixes from some fine underground electronic talent (T. Raumschmiere, Joshua Eustis, Safety Scissors). Slicker is John Hughes, owner of Hefty Records and former Bill Ding frontman.
SUPER ESP : Super ESP - Hefty CD £6.99 / 12" £5.99
TELEFON TEL AVIV : Fahrenheit Fair Enough - Hefty CD £10.99
TELEFON TEL AVIV : Fahrenheit Fair Enough - Hefty LP £8.99
Fahrenheit Fair Enough marks the debut, full-length release from Telefon Tel Aviv. For the uninitiated TT converge their interests in modern/contemporary electronic music, carefully crafted & passionate compositions/arrangements, lush fragile melodies & harmonic interplay. TT always seamlessly manage to keep their instrumental music equation full of life (organic, if you will) and ever-changing, achieving impressive results along the way. On Fahrenheit Fair Enough, TT often blends elements of atmospheric sounds & synths that echo, ebb & swell, melodies that float & flutter, while hi-end percussion/beats, slip, slither & stomp with a calculated lubricious flow. Fahrenheit Fair Enough is a signal accomplishment that is endearing for it's vast colors, graceful qualities, fluid cohesion and inviting accessibility. Our aforementioned words of TT's sound are best witnessed on the album title track. 'Fahrenheit Fair Enough'. Here, warm resonant Rhodes keys loop a longing tone melody, live-sounding percussion morphs with an affected downtempo electra beat stutter, that eventually slips into a swift, glassy rhythm with slick precision, a bass guitar keeps things grounded & grooving, while guitars hold beautiful cyclical & soaring melodies, all of this building up to 4 1/2 minutes into the song at which point, unexpected hand claps enter the mix, sending things off to blissful heights. A near perfect song, if we ever heard one. TT create their music by means of: guitar (acoustic electric, bass), electronics/synths, drums/percussion, upright bass, vibes, samples, piano (Rhodes & trad.), etc. and the result is a sound not too dissimilar to the more electronic side of Tortoise. Lush.
VARIOUS : Immediate Action - Hefty 2CD £14.99
Immediate Action was originally a six part series of 12”s. Due to the overwhelming success and demand for earlier, out-of-print singles, Hefty now offers a massive 2xCD, 22 track collection of moments from the original IA series, featuring: A Grape Dope (John Herndon of Tortoise/Isotope 217), Process (aka Steve Barnes of Fat Cat Records), Savath+Savalas (Scott Herren of Prefuse 73/Delarosa & Asora), Aluminum Group, Slicker, etc. Also, exclusive/bonus music from: T. Raumschmiere (Shitkatapuft / Kompakt artist), Bogdan Raczynski (Rephlex recording artist), Beneath Autumn Sky and Twine.
VARIOUS : Immediate Action Bonus Tracks - Hefty - 12" £5.99
This is a strictly limited edition 12” brought together to accompany the release of Hefty’s huge ‘Immediate Action’ double cd collection. The tracks
come courtesy of Bogdan Raczynski, Twine, Beneath Autumn Sky and T.Raumschmiere. Opening duties go to Mr Bogdan – delivering here a crushing reworking of John Hughes’ ‘Counting Backwards’ and in the process managing to produce another blinder. This guy has improved so much – blending spannered splintered beats and rave echoes with a careful construction of accoustic components and melancholy vibes – like listening to two tracks simultaneously and managing to achieve total cohesion. Awesome. Twine head towards the downtempo next with a flowing display of ambient tinkles and washed-out vocal cut-outs. Therepeutic listening. Beneath Autumn Sky further refine their downtempo b-boyisms with some more generously produced deep instrumentations and beats, the production here is superb, more and more detail surfacing with every listen. Shitkatapult’s maverick T.Raumschmiere finishes things off with some cool Cologne reductions – stripped 4/4 and airy strings that make for an interesting finale to a varied and excellent mini-coolection. Strictly 500 copies for the world.
VARIOUS : Phil Ranelin remixes - Hefty - MLP £8.99
VARIOUS : Phil Ranelin remixes - Hefty - CD £10.99
Chicago’s inspired Hefty label return with their most ambitious and expansive release to date. Having resurrected Phil Renalin’s glorious ‘Vibes from the Tribe’ and ‘The Time Is Now’ LP’s, Hefty have passed on much of the source material to some of their favourite artists have have brought together a mouthwatering collection of remixes spanning across the genre’s from Hip Hop to Electronica and beyond. Here are the players : Prefuse 73, Kirk Degiorgio, Jan Jelinek, Slicker, Morgan Geist, El P, Micha Acher, Telefon Tel Aviv, Beneath Autumn Sky and Nobody. The music of Renalin is fiercely rich, emerging from the era of jazz music that embraced the soulfire of Gil Scott Heron, the leaving breathing fire music of John Coltrane and the spiritualism's of Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane. The remixers on board this huge project have treated the source material with unusually intriacte attention to detail and have managed to convey the impression that they have collaborated with the master tapes, rather then simply re-edited them. Scott Herren’s Prefuse 73 is up first : a nocturnal emission of bells sets the tone with some truly breathtaking double bass playing and layered flutes. Faithful to the aesthetic of the original while setting it in a new era, Herren brings the depth to the fore and does so with a moving headnod beat to boot. Kirk Degiorgio takes time out from his many projects (As One and Offworld Productions, to name two) to come with a sweet midtempo extension to ‘For The Children’ complete with ace percussion, beats and the most uplifting fender rhodes refrain....all placed in a blistering hot Cuban setting. Jan Jelinek’s (Farben / Gramm) contribution is breathtaking, sticking to the ideals of his ‘loop finding jazz records’, Mr Jelinek must have been delighted to receive source material of this calibre to play with. The result is a warm detailing of microscopic sounds infused with tickling slivers of Fender Rhodes and a rumbling double bassline. Stunning stuff. The lovely Slicker reworking of ‘For The Children’ sets some deep Chicago electronic/post-rock/jazz infusions to a Gil-style vocal produced straight from the stomach, a mellifluous flow of crisp and earthy percussion with delicate sprinkles of jazz essence. Morgan Geist up's the funk quotient on his beat heavy version of ‘Sounds From The Village’, retaining the fluidity of the original instrumentation while adding an echoed presence to the rhythms, cavernously deep. The mighty El-P, of block quaking Def Jux label renown takes some time out from delivering his masterpiece solo debut and rips into ‘Time Is Running Out’ like it really is.... running out.. broken gritty beats flow into the understated melodies, abstract avant hiphopjazz at it's best from the antiblingking. Tied and Tickled Trio / Notwist Maestro Micha Acher is up next with a totally reassembled interpretation of ‘Vibes From The Tribe’ - a spiritual avant jazz horn styling from fellow Tied members Johannes Enders (tenor sax) and Stefan Schreiber (clarinet) alongside the wonderful live percussion of Carl Oesterhel creates a devestating moment of freedom and stark beauty. The soon-to be-massive Telefon Tel Aviv build on the beauty of their sublime ‘Fahrenheit Fair Enough’ album with this electronic rejig – jazz splinters appear in disguised form, creating a deadly flick of deepest IDM. Crushing stuff. Friends of Scott Herren Beneath Autumn Sky get with the beats on another flawless hiphoptronica excursion, deadly crisp beats and shuddering basslines envelop tasty horns and jazzwise whispers, out-Prefusing Prefuse, so to speak. Ubiquity man Nobody rounds things up with the perfect epilogue – a heads down journey through the city streets of jazzy lush and downtempo radiance. A truly outstanding release, outrageously ambitious, delivering the goods in deadly fashion. Essential.
BACK IN STOCK
6955 : Gameboy rock - 555 - LP £7.99
ATOMS FAMILY : Prequel - Centriphugal Phorce - CD £12.99
DAVID GOULD : Adonai in dub - Tzadik - CD £12.99
DJ QBERT : Deluxe shampoo Edition - Dirtstyle - LP £13.49
EDAN : Mic manipulator - Lewis - 12" £5.99
JOHN CALE : Dream Interpretation - Inside the dream syndicate 2 - Table of the elements - CD £13.49
JOHN ZORN : The Big Gundown - Tzadik - CD £13.49
JOHN ZORN : The Gift - Tzadik - CD £13.49
KINGS HAVE LONG ARMS : Prince shops at bardwells - Twins of evil - 7" £2.99
MASADA : Live at Tonic 2001 - Tzadik - 2CD £19.99
MAZARIN : A tall tale storyline - Rocket Girl - LP £8.99
MU CHAN CLAN : Smash it with a brick - Twins of evil - 7" £2.99
NOAM CHOMSKY : An American Addiction - AK Press - CD £5.99
PUB : Derail - Ampoule - 12" £4.99
THE WIRE : February 2002 Issue - The Wire - Magazine £3.30
VARIOUS : Ropeladder 12" - Mush - 3LP £13.49
VARIOUS : Vertical Forms - Vertical Form - CD £12.99
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