Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Artificial Abstractions
Luis Flores isn't a name I've come across previously but on the strength of his Pain and Prosthetics release on Hidden Agenda it's certainly going to be one I keep an eye out for in the future. Delivering three dark and brooding club tracks full of tension and perfect for building up the climax in a set, this is definitely a release for discerning techno heads. The digital version also features a bonus cut in the form of 'Vitamins 4 U' which takes things in a slightly different direction due largely to the vocodered Anthony Rother-style vocals. Not quite as strong as the tracks on the vinyl release but provides a little variety and all in all this is a tasty little package.Luis Flores - Bajando // Hidden Agenda buy
Keeping with the dark warehouse vibe, we move onto the latest installment of goodness from the Stroboscopic Artefacts camp. Back in March, fresh remixes of Lucy & Ercolino's Gmork & So The Nothing Grows Stronger came out; this time with Luke Slater & Dadub at the controls. Both deliver strong, reverb-heavy slabs of techno perfect for the rave although the Dadub one works it's way up to the pounding techno structure by taking in some dubstep influences prior to the breakdown so for me, provides the most interesting home listening - I suspect the Slater mix would nail it in a club environment though. The next installment of Stroboscopic's digital only sampler EP is due out this week and once again offers a bit more variety that the typically heads-down fodder of their 12"s. That said, the killer on 'Gamma' is Abstract Souls' Abstract Subway which is a deep and heavy dancefloor workout with another well placed nod towards Basic-Channel. Given that Discogs suggests this is this artist's first release, they're certainly out of the gates on a flyer so lets hope they can maintain this quality on subsequent outings. The rest of the sampler contains some nice cuts too: Modern Head's 1969 is mesmerizing in its simplicity and sure to find dancers shuffling along in contended bliss while Donor strips things down to a sparse and cavernous kickdrum and modulating bassline formula that takes in a variety of sonic effects as it meanders along while Claudio PRC finishes things off with a slab of dark sci-fi ambiance.
One thing that's currently puzzling me about this label is why neither Boomkat nor Phonica are currently stocking it in the UK - come on guys you're really missing a trick here - get on it! In respecting the label's wishes, we're only going to put snippets from these releases up again. You can also check out previews from Juno / Juno Download & Zero" who clearly have the good sense to have the full SA catalogue online.
Lucy & Ercolino - So The Nothing Grows Stronger (Dadub Remix) (SAMPLE) // Stroboscopic Artefacts
Abstract Souls - Abstract Subway (SAMPLE) // Stroboscopic Artefacts
Stroboscopic Artefacts also featured heavily on Modyfier last month with no less than 5 installments in their Process Series! I've not had chance to check the mixes out in full yet but if the crew's DJ skills are of the same high standards as the label's productions then I suspect there's some treats in store!
Keeping with the dubby vibe but moving into stepper's territory is a promo mix we were sent a while back for last Friday's FWD night at Matter - I meant to post ahead of the event but kind of got sidetracked! The mix takes its time to work all the way up to full dancefloor strength, starting off with tracks from across a variety of genres with some of the early selections not being the kind of thing you'd typically expect to hear on a mix from one of the big names in Dubstep. However, fans of Appleblim will know what to expect as the showcasing of his eclectic side is something he's done previously, particularly on his excellent Rinse FM mixes from last year. 
Rounding things up for today is a tasty little freebie sent to us to promote Mount Kimbie's latest release - a collection of remixes out on Hotflush that comes in 2 parts. Part 1 is out now (actually sold out in a few places) and features the Falty DL version below plus remixes by James Blake & Instra:mental. I've not heard the second remix package yet but it features Tama Sumo & Prosumer and label boss Paul Rose in his SCB guise. Part 2 was originally due out at the end of April but doesn't appear to be in the shops yet so I'm guessing it's slightly delayed but due to drop imminently.Mount Kimbie - Serged (Falty DL Remix) // Hotflush buy
Labels: Abstract Souls, Appleblim, Claudio PRC, Donor, Ercolino, Falty DL, Hidden Agenda, Lucy, Luis Figo, Modern Heads, Mount Kimbie, Stroboscopic Artefacts
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Belated Introduction
Despite being going since 2008, the Prologue label only came to my attention recently. The first release to make me take note, was Iori's Unknown Place EP as I had recently come across his work on Galaxy, the debut release on the Phonica White series. Across both of these releases, Iori has made his agenda pretty clear with a heavy focus on post Basic Channel dub techno and his sound palette is warm, deep and very immersive. My one criticism of his work is that his tracks have a tendency to take hypnotic minimalism a little too far and moving towards a more verse-chorus-verse type structure rather than the minimal pattern evolution he seems to favour, would, in my mind at least, elevate his work to the next level.
Iori - Magnetic // Prologue buy
Cio D'or is a more established name, having put out a string of 12s over the last 5 or so years. Die Faser is her debut album and puts together a collection of tracks linked largely by a common theme of experimentation with reverb and delay. The overall result is pleasing, reminding me in parts of Pantha Du Prince's work albeit with a more minimal dancefloor edge. Whether it hangs together that well as an album is something that I'm not too sure of as the danceflooor focus of many of the tracks gives an overall feel more akin to a doublepack 12" release although as this has come out in digital format only I guess this is something a little hard to achieve! For the digital jocks out there though, this minor quibble of mine isn't going to make much difference as the key thing here is that there's plenty of tasty cuts to weave into your sets.
Cio D'or - Brokat // Prologue buy
Donato Dozzy has been causing quite a stir on the blogosphere, not least as the mighty mnml ssgs has put him on a pedestal as one of the best DJs in the world right now. Having checked out some of his online mixes as well as having seen him play at Bleep 43 last year, it's pretty clear that anyone with a penchant for deep, thoughtful electronics is going to take great pleasure from checking out this guy's work behind the decks. He's also got a healthy production history under his belt and I'm a little ashamed to say that I'm not too familiar with this side of his work. On the In Vaders EP, Dozzy teams up with Dino Sabatini to deliver a pair of deep techno cuts that are complemented by an additional track from Sabatini and chums in their Modern Heads guise. The title track is definitely the dancefloor killer here with a rolling percussive groove and skittery effects providing a platform for the arcade-style bleeps that no doubt provide the inspiration for the title. Nocturnal is a much more sedate affair based on Sähkö style minimalism perfect for headphone listening and Mooger mixes thick ambience with tough Berghainesque percussion to deliver a slowly-evolving tool filled with subtle twists and turns to keep your ears pricked up.
Donato Dozzy & Dino Sabatini - In Vaders // Prologue
The In Vaders EP is scehduled for release on 19th Feb - check out a full preview here.
Labels: Cio D'or, Dino Sabatini, Donato Dozzy, Iori, Modern Heads, Prologue
