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CONTENTS:
Greeting Ladies and Gentlemen!
Or, Yo Y’all, Wotz’up!
Yeah, perhaps it’s been awhile, so let me tell ya what’s been up… The radio show on WTSR (These Technotic Times) is doing real well. I have been sending playlists, charts, commentaries and reviews to many sources – publications, zines, people here, people there, etc…check out the June issue of URB for several reviews ala’ L3 in the Techno section. The technotica.com web site continues to grow and is getting lotza linkage and hits…we still feature Real Audio mixes on the site, in addition to the current issue and the archive of the past 2 years’ issues of ‘The Times’. We have been getting many wonderful e-mails, and music from fabulous people all over the world, and it certainly does warm the cockles of our collective hearts. There’s also lots of ‘quires about artists, the music in general, and get this, requests for stuff to play! Yep! Getting’ some earnest inquiries recently for Sabres of Paradise, I-F, and Claude Young. And now, we have been doing a weekly Internet Broadcast from our studio. Sonic Sorcery goes out live every Tuesday night, starting at 10 pm Eastern Standard Time, and ending at 12mn. (Send us your time zone, and we’ll tell ya when that iz for you). There are plans already afoot to expand the show to 2 episodes a week, one to showcase new music, and one featuring a mix of new and old tunage in a spotlight style or mood. A chat, hosted by Restless Rob, takes place on ICQ channel # 13800598. An archive of past shows and playlists is also available on the http://www.technotica.com website. Thanks to the host/carrier of the program, MooKee @ DBS Productions. A Drum & Bass show, Junglistic, also takes place every Wednesday night, 10 pm until 1 am! (EST). Go to- http://www.dbsproductions.com/groovebox
HAPPY HAPPY!!
Now sing along with me, if I may be so bold as to request such a
silly thing, "Happy Birthday 2 Uuuuuuuuu…." Yes, that’s right, your eyes
have not gone buggy yet! I present to you the second anniversary edition
of the new, improved, and re-grooved version of The Technotic Times…Leaner,
tougher, and more technotically-future focused.… It’s chockablock full
of what you told us you want & need, and less of what you can probly
find out somewhere else. After all, the information age is exploding, and
I wanna make sure I keep y’all interested in what I got to say!!!! There’s
soooooo much um, schtuff out there to wade through, things flying at you
all ovah, and then there’s all the stuff you gotta deal with in real life.
Plus, I’ve been streamlining my system of listening/playing/reviewing/charting
in order to spend more time with the actual thing that most important with
me…sharing the music in a way that showcases it to it’s best advantage.
The Times is growing up quickly!
WHERE WE’RE AT…
You see, I have a talent and a vision, and I get restless, I gotta
keep moving, exploring, testing boundaries. I’m real good at sniffin out
interesting ‘nuggets of joy’ TM. I’m very lucky to have been
raised in a city and a family of music…Yo Philly Style! I grew up on the
4x4 beat of the Polka, did the Mummers strut to the String Bands on New
Year’s (A total Psychedelica festival, the PERFECT thing to watch on television
on New Year’s Day when yer in that particular kind of post-party haze,
it starts at 6am and goes well past 6pm!!!) and grooved to sweet Philadelphia
soul sounds...In between all the other offerings of Bandstand and Soul
Train on TV and WFIL & WIBG on the radio. Currently, with our NY to
Philly corridor of access, the musical, artistic & other cultural delights
to sample are vast indeed. Restless Rob & I try to hit all kinds of
events and clubs to keep fresh and open-minded………
The eclectic focus of the Sunday Night mix show on WTSR has been extremely helpful in exposing me and my audience to new and sometimes challenging music…..As you know, U.S. College Radio stations can sometimes be inundated with listening material and future hits, and I must say that WTSR does a great job spreadin the joy with an awesome line-up of music in all genres, all eras…. Recently, RR and I were honored with an award from the station for this year’s ‘Most Valuable Community Volunteers’. We’d like to take a moment to thank Mr. Paul Afieri, Spiro Yulis, the Board of Directors, and all the staff at the station for their support and encouragement! The listeners have been very vocal about tracks they like and are always interested in hearing stuff they’d might not get a chance to otherwise. There are a lot of knowledgeable listeners, and an almost equal, or greater number that don’t know if it’s techno, house or jungle, but they like what I play and ask great questions about the music and where to find stuff like it, labels, artists, bands! There has been a tremendous positive response to the tech-house, jazzy sexy grooves, and lots of the recent French stuff – the dayside programming has had lots of this French stuff by the way. As much as they, and I love this variety, nothing seems to equal the vibe that an excellent banging techno/hard house/trance/acid house set can create, and the response is always happy and up for it!
S’anyway, that’s some of what I’ve been up to, along with spinning out at a startling spectrum of events…and everywhere the demand for the experimental/chill/moody/ambient/breaks/electro/trip hop stuff has been on the rise. But, just as equally strong has been to need for beats, real beats, slammin beats with crazy stuff goin on to get really wild to! Of course, there’s been lotz of going out dancing and to hear live music whenever possible. Speaking of, the Restless one & I experienced Kraftwerk a few weeks ago in NYC!! An awesome experience that I felt I just had to be there….knowing full well in advance what the show would be like, knowing the songs so well, knowing that it would be like a moment frozen in time…frozen and brought, just as perfectly formed into the present time where they could bask in the adulation of their roles as pioneers…same as it ever was, yet somehow different…I doubt the boys from Deutschland ever played to such a large crowd in their heyday…hey, maybe this is their heyday!
0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.
WHERE WE’RE GOING???
Ok…Well kids, I think I gotta go back underground. It’s time. For
several months now there’s been little joy to be found. You may even say
that’s there’s trouble in River City my friend, Trouble with a capital
T, that rhymes with D – and that stands for people getting a bit too carried
way with things that distract from the music and the wonder of the scene
that it supports. When people are too concerned with being in with the
cool crowd, even if that means being stupid and not using common sense
and their powers of decision making in situations where peer pressure or
lack of knowledge may cause them harm. You all know what I’m talking about,
and it’s gotta be taken care of…we gotta take care of each other…thru any
means that it may happen, if you find yourself in a situation where you
can make a difference, where you can impart wisdom and knowledge, then,
take that opportunity, as many times as you can…spread the love, save our
scene.
CLUBLANDING
Ya know, when the parties started moving into the clubs, I went
to many of them and had a decent time at quite a few. I know that in many
countries, electronic/techno/rave music is a regular part of the popular
culture, and it’s all over the place, clubs, taxi’s, etc…and when the ‘authorities’
started comin’ down hard on the warehouse stylee shin-digs here in the
US, and other places like Sweden, the initial move into established night-clubs
wasn't too bad, many thought. Well, it's over, it's tired, and I’m tired
of it. Tired of the harsh lights, the peeps that drink too much and try
to mess with my buds, the lack of atmosphere, and the same old atmosphere.
I miss the big spaciousness of the warehouse, the darkness, and the mystery
of a newly rediscovered space…The pounding beats ripping through the humungous
sound system and the bass blowing me away. I miss the energy of the ravers,
the smiles, the horsing around, the long human chains of kids running thru
the hall holding hands, the crazy outfits, and the gleeful craziness in
general.
But ‘raving’ is now ‘the thing to do,’ and it’s meaning has become distorted……I hear the phrase raging and raving all the time, all over, everywhere I go. It’s funny, cuz’ it used to mean just going out all night, getting crazy, havin fun and chasin’ the vibe of phat techno beatz. Now, huge numbers of people crowd into parties looking for the thing that’s made these "rave" parties so famous. (or is it infamous?) Don’t get me wrong though, there are still good parties to be had…it’s just that they are few and far between for the really good ones with original line-ups, great production values and location, and a refreshing lack of the extreme shadiness that seems to pervade so many of these events.
The proliferation of small events and more intimate small club/bar spaces with theme nights continues…and lots more of these cozy spots are poppin up all over. They have become popular for many reasons, and are so very suitable to the electronic connoisseur seeking a certain vibe. With these spaces, it’s easy to relax after a hard work week, family pressures, and all that gobble-de-gook of trying to live a half-normal life in this crazy planet. A perfect little fantasy world in which to retreat, realign, revive…..Hear bands play live, lotsa different local type Dj’s and their special guests, have lots of beers, and cool camaraderies develop, the crowd, the performers, the bartenders….it’s a sort of a micro TAZ, an oasis of never never land. And like, wow man, the weekly routine takes on a new glow!
That’s when the music is good, and the management is progressive minded….when it’s bad, or put on for the wrong reasons, it can be torture!!!!!!!!!
IT ALWAYS COMES BACK TO THE MUSIC…
And let’s talk about the some of the advanced tools available
for the creation of some of the music we’re hearing in these venues…In
several recent forays out to the larger equipment stores, and playing with
lots of the new music machines (such as the mc-505), I’m struck with how
supremely easy it is to create the foundations of a decent track now…I
had a passable Jungle Dub finished while Rob was waiting in line to pay
for our little purchase. So, if it’s this easy to create new music, and
the market can be flooded with demos of hopefuls, will the cream rise to
the top?
Listening to everything that passes your way becomes more difficult for some, and near to impossible for others…then there are those who absolutely delight in the confusion and mayhem generated by it all, for this becomes more of a challenge that inspires a sense of fun…finding the shiny diamond hidden in the sand! Now, that’s a real kick!
I’ve been doing a LOT of thinking about the state of things lately in the ‘rave scene’ and have again come to the conclusion that it all really does come down to being about the music, because without it, there is no real foundation for any so-called-scene. Adding more clouds to the crystal ball are the huge transitions and shifts taking place – all at the same time – in the listener base, the artistic offerings and the business of music itself. And once again, like at other critical stages across music’s commercial history, the banner is being carried by small labels that care little for commercially-defined success, and who deliberately press small runs of their work. An excellent example of this right now is the flowering interest in so-called ‘intelligent’ music. That which does not forgo emotion, but rather elicits it from the listener by the process of actively involving the listener, making them part of the process. It can be dance or plainly listening oriented, but, as I’ve discovered, you never know where someone is going to find something to dance to, the rhythm of life itself is music worth celebrating to!
HIGH AMPERAGE
Hey, talk about a change in direction….check out the new season
of AMP…. It looks like Gen 2 of MTV’s ‘electronica’ show is forgoing the
‘mixed’ format, focusing instead on the excellent new proliferation of
electronic music videos. Well, that’s what I thought after the first episode,
but after reviewing subsequent ones, Yawn…I’m getting bored! The selection
of videos seemed, at first, much more varied, ranging from more accessible
stuff like some Prodigy concert footage (though of a different song for
a change), the Rockafella Skank by Fatboy Slim, that fun, fabulous new
Beastie Boys Intergalactic robot action, some great concert footage of
the recent Kraftwerk tour, and the Revolution 909 Daft Punk video, which
is so most excellent!!!!!. Ultimately, though, my final impression was
of one long commercial for their new compilation...the first ‘season’ of
AMP took chances and had some groundbreaking moments… and they put it out
there, video train wrecks and all! :-)
Hey, while we’re on the subject of music videos, Do check out the one for Josh Wink’s ‘Simple Man’…the song itself is ok, but the concept and video rocks and will have you rockin’ with laughter, Bravo!
THANKS, BUT NO THANKS?
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I want to take a moment to THANK all of y’all that have taken
some of your valuable time and sent us here at Technotica a note about
this e-zine thingy here. There are a few people who have unsubscribed,
who no longer want this ‘mail’, as they ‘so eloquently’ put it. Well, it’s
not Just mail. I really don’t care, well, yes I do, I gotta admit, I am
always mystified when someone doesn’t want ‘The Times’ delivered Free of
Charge to their e-mail-boxes…ESPECIALLY when I’ve been reviewing their
rekkids, ones which I’ve bought and paid for myself, and liked! Well, do
I say, you can have yer rekkids and there are plenty more labels, etc.
that want any info they can get on what’s going on all over the world,
and like to get info on what people think about their product. Hmmm, well,
I am known as a fair and even natured person, and, if I run across a tune
that I like of someone who doesn’t want to read about this stuff, I’ll
still buy it, I guess ;-> Perhaps they’ll see the error of their ways someday
;-> Oh yea, here’s another good one…Ever here of a music magazine rejecting
playlist submissions? Well, looks like Muzik magazine doesn’t care what’s
really going on…Too bad for them I guess ;-P Or, perhaps they just like
to create consternation and mayhem, just like all good/notorious music
journals are supposed to do…eliciting a response, getting yer ire up as
it were…well, there ya go, goes to prove that age-old adage, doesn’t it?
Any publicity is good publicity, as one of the Gabor sisters put it so
well, "Darling, it’s when they don’t talk about you that you should be
worried!!!"
So, a special thanks is due to all my super-supporters out there! A big hug goes out to Dj Orion at Astralwerks, and Rick Salzar at Undercover…And I’d also like to take a moment to gratefully acknowledge the wonderful vinyl and material contained therein of the Belgium based Paradiso labels group (Future Frontier, Sub Sounds, Minimalistix, etc), and all the others, who, like them, press quality tunes on quality vinyl.
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SOME SERIOUS STUFF
It's nice to live in the fantasy world that our music can help create.
We go to parties and have a wonderful time, meet great people, and are
taken on fantastic journeys thanks to some very talented people.
In real life, shit happens....we don't like to think about it, and perhaps we’d rather just keep dancing and be mezmerized by the lights and sound....as an escape from the real world.
I have just heard about Tony DeVit passing… That is a very sad thing indeed, for many people have been greatly affected in wondrous ways by him and his music.
As time continues it's inevitable march, we'll have to deal with more and more of these issues...and sometimes, we will have the opportunity to reach out to one of our own who is in need, and offer what we can in thanks and appreciation.
Many of you have had the pleasure of hearing and meeting Scott Forbush, a.k.a., Grandpa Techno. Well, he's taken ill (cancer) and has less than 24 months to live.
Rob and I met Mr Forbush and heard him spin at a party in Philly a few years ago. He said that he was looking forward to retiring on a big boat :-) I found him charming, informative, respectful, and a great talent & showman.
Friends of Scotts are trying to get in touch with anyone who's had contact with him to let them know about his condition, and a fund-raising plan to assist him over the next 12-24 months that is being devised.
Anyone_ who's interested, please contact Ian Schoen Mahr Mariano: igroove@cyberdrive.net
Scott's done a lot for the scene all over the world, and has spun some of the bomb events in Europe, NYC, and elsewhere. He's been generous to a fault with everyone in the scene he's come in contact with.
People can email him C/O Earl Francis and send him some good vibes:
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WHAT’S HAPPENIN’ IN THE TRENCHES?
Rundown of types and scenes...........
In the House scene, the Sunday Body & Soul party in NYC is still going strong, attracting a wide variety of all ages, cultures and a cosmopolitan atmosphere. The jazzy sound is real popular exemplified by Kevin Yost, the Guidance and Glasgow Underground labels. PsyGoa trance has a strong and steady core of followers and lively events. Hard trance and progressive goin into tech house are getting popular with club jocks. Straight up bangin techno isn’t exactly rare, but taking into account how people react to the good stuff, there should be more of it. I’ve noticed increasing numbers of pure techno nights in the mid-west area, and the Sonic Groove posse continues it’s series of events geared to the more mature-technophile. And, while lounge seems to be on a slight decline (but still very cool thing when done with ingenuity and panache) swing music is re-developing as an underground movement, similar to it’s previous life! Disco influences are up ! And electro weirdness is crawling from a cadre of creative crevices!!
Hardcore is goin good, being represented by small nights and at many larger parties…with mosh pit intact.
Toronto, NY, NJ…it continues to daze and amaze! And, Yo! Those Canadians really know how to party!
LaPeste of Hangars Liquide music sez, "In France, happy hardcore and gabber are THE styles that work for hardcore, but most of the techno scene is rather acidcore/hardtechno (the sound of our festivals called teknivals). I am one of the very few DJs who play experimental hardcore. U're right when u say that music in Europe turns out to be more and more experimental : and I find it really cool! To me the best party is really at the frontier between really dark and experimental hardcore and dynamic hardbeat." To know more about the "spirit" of the label, check out the web site — http://www.hangars-liquides.com
Lots of old-school rave feelings are also poppin up all over….I don’t mean 2 Unlimited type stuff either, although I did spot someone buying their new one the other day. I’m talking about that prime underground 90-91 type of techno-rave. There were hard beats and twisted sounds, along with lots of crazy acid lines and silly samples…remember these old faves – "the windows are where their doors should be," and "a juicy red apple is nice yes, but not all apples are red"… GTO/TechnoHead, etc…..smiles all around!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe this fun is needed back, and it’s refreshing to see an increase in humor injected tunage that’s been tugging at that veil of hard, dark, toughness that had enveloped things for awhile.
It’s all about bass and beats……..feelin it, getting the full workout….heck, it’s good stuff baby!
Here’s some more Bombastic Bassment Beats
http://purple.tmn.com/0h/Community/juechi/soundout.html
http://www.bekkoame.or.jp/CYBERJAPAN/home.html
GUAGING THE GROOVE
One of the most interesting events the Restless one and I attended
had a quickly rotating line up of Djs playing lotz of different styles.
It was a very cool chance to gauge people’s reactions to different types
of music in a controlled setting. Chill groovey beats started it out, getting
peeps all warmed up, and a generally pleasant hip-swayin’ feeling developed.
Then some electro and electro/techno stuff was pumped out, creating a very
pleasant, almost giddy reaction at first, but the crowd seemed to tire
of it a bit after little more than an hour of it. Pleasant techno mixed
with tech-house was up next, keepin everyone in a good mood, imbibing and
chatting, occasionally breakin out into a spontaneous shuffle. Then, some
hard trance ala Commander Tom was laid down…oh my gosh! It was hilarious…this
was a small nyc loungy club, and suddenly, like, everyone’s up, out of
their seats, milling about, you know, just like you do at a big rave… smiling,
saying hello, and Dancing!!! It was a wonderful feeling. The next set up
started with some Latin sexy rhythms and grooves and that really got em
going again, it then progressed into a wonderful fusion with techno and
house ‘ala Abe Duque!!! Actual beads of sweat were noticed on many a brow
attending this industry gathering!
What’s next? Many see a sharp rise in the use of Industrial and Goth influences. I’m hearing a LOT about this 2-step thing that seems to be another way of expressing the Breakbeat and Jungle influence. Experimental music, that which fuses and innovates, has become a wellspring of refreshment and amusement. The whole wide world of musical & cultural influences…..A merging of international rhythms in music, culture, finance and freedom. An awareness and an initiative to act and react. Such is the power of music…for look at what lengths one will go to create and experience it.
SOME QUIK STUFF TO NOTE
Styles of increasing attention….idm stylee..listenin and groovin….headspaced
industrialized
Boards of Canada
Mogwai!!!!!! Bloody Val mix got the phones goin!
Underground Movers & Shakers
Yeah! Brooklyn Music (BML) is going gangbusters, Baby! A full line-up of various styles of electronic beats- Check out Joey Jupiter live, or with his partner doing their Atomic Babies thing. They got a bunch of CD’s out that’ll give you a real East Coast feel, where several artists have contributed mixes to a project commemorating a party, such as ‘Abracadabra’ and ‘Hemp Splash 2.’ There’s also a series of Mix projects of several styles...Do check out the House mix by Osheen, really slammin hard house with very little Diva factor.
LOCAL 101 is a new label from a group of artists based out of Brooklyn, NY. Their first release hit me happy, so I picked up the next 2, toot sweet! Their Web page has info on their artists and such. To check out what Infinity8Infinity has to say about his rekkid, go to- http://www.gdny.com/infinity8/index.html
Hot! LA Williams – progressive energetic techno/house!
The fabulous sounds of The Timewriter and his Jigsaw Pieces are blowin minds everywhere with smooth, positive vibey interesting tech-house.
In Philly, for several years, we’ve always been able to count on Rob Paine to bring the funk to the party……playing at outlaws, rave events, and at clubs large and small, he is always greeted with warmth and appreciation….with a classical training in music and as an accomplished sax player, Rob brings an accessible warmth and sexiness to the groove. His first release on Vurt Audio, ‘Let It Ring’ gives a taste of his knowledge and feel for that special jazzy element that’s finding such good favor all over!
Labels getting lots of attention…Soma, Circulation, Bungalow, Thule
Labels really getting my attention…Fragmented, Glasgow Underground, Delerium Red, Fatcat, EatKnowledge (I’ll tell you more about this one next time, but do check it out if’n you can!)
By the way…wanna know one of the ways I can gauge how well a label is taking off? Well, it often goes like this: I peep a new label name, I check it out, I like it, I take it home, play it some more, play it out for an audience…things look good, I check the next release, and it’s slamming as well, so come the next release I usually acquire it as a matter of course, and being real pleased, do so again, and then, horror of horrors! It’s not available…that means it’s flying outta the shops, and well, looks like my job is done there! Time to find the next vein of precious vinyl gems!
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Here’s some more gems, aka, nuggets of joy (tm)
http://www.emf.org/guide.html
It’s the Electronic Music Foundation’s ‘Guide to the World’ – check
it out and you’ll get the scoop on such events as ISEA98 (International
Symposium on Electronic Art), one of the most significant events in the
global electronic arts calendar, September 2 - 4 in Liverpool and September
5 - 7 in Manchester (UK) and ICMF '98 (International Computer Music festival)
in Kobe (Japan) September 18 - 20.
http://www.awn.com
Animation!!!!!! I need not say no more then, check it!
THE TECHTIME CALENDAR
AS ALWAYS, IF YOU HAVE OR KNOW OF A LIVE INTERNET BROADCAST, ETC.,
OF INTEREST TO THE TECHNOTIC COMMUNITY - YOU’RE WELCOME TO POST THE INFORMATION
ON THE TECHTIME CALENDAR AT http://www.technotica.com/techtime Or, e-mail
us at techtime@technotica.com
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And now, without further
ado...
THE WORLD FAMOUS REVIEWS ‘N RATINGS ALA TECHNOTICA
CHARTS!!!
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Where do I get the music that I play? Well, it’s stuff purchased from local music stores, mail orders, promos sent to me, stuff friends give me to check out, things I find around the station, etc……The contact info is at the end of this report…
Shows weekly:
- These Technotic Times, WTSR 91.3 fm CNJ Sundays 9pm-12mn
- Sonic Sorcery, http://www.dbsproductions/groovebox, Tuesdays 10pm-12mn
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1. STEVE BICKNELL - THE PRIMATIVE STRETCH EP - COSMIC...
Acid House!! Oh my, this sure brought back some memories…actually
it enhanced them! 4 cuts of point and click repetitive numbers pound deeply
and steadily, snapping and scraping and percussively galloping while all
the while pulsing that sound, that organ scrape that was the mainstay of
many 7am Sunday mornings ear/mind echoed imprints left upon the brain,
along with the faint cigarette smell infused into your clothes sometime
in 1989. On the flip, one cut is on the Tribal tip, and the other, a galloping
and knocking and pulsing mental mover!
2. MINDTOURS – EP – TORQUE…
Well, you’ll probably be real happy with the 2 cuts on the B side
with their huge bangin clankety selves, and then you flip it and, oh wow,
what a monster of massive mental manic proportions awaits, with scraping
loud pulsings, dark acid and excellent percussion.
3. BOX BREAKER – BULLET BREAKER – PLANET RHYTHM SPECIAL…
Another banger for your box, and by golly, it sure will get the energy
up. ‘Bullet Breaker’ gets all thick and bangin with pipe hits and percussion,
but ‘Pants Up’ will make you shake a leg baby for sure, it’s hugely banging,
with steady submarine blips and percussive urging.
4. Z-7 – U-N-I – NU FUTURA…
All 3 cuts of this have been getting spin-action from me, both on
radio and live. ‘Feel’ is a long cut on the logo side that’s works at 33+
or –45. It’s a deeply powerful and pumping techno stomper with some house
flavor and some sinister feelings. It bangs and skids along with acid sweeps,
trippy vocals and surprised yelps. ‘We Are Not Alone’ has an omnious male
vox repeating the title, as deep uneasy feelings build and spill over into
stomping 4x4 huge reverberating bass beats, and then, along come some strange
goings on and tribally bongos to stir up the primal beastie.…Woo! ‘Filtered’
goes off with big menacing acidic beats ‘n rattlesnakes amist deep trippy
twirling stuff, and then the beats go down, then up, then down, and oh
my, this gets very involving!
5. SIDNEY HIH – EAST OF THE RIVER – MINIMALISTIX…
Yeah, baby, you’ll be doing some fancy ‘Foot Work’ with this aptly
titled mover! Multiple layers of slammin sawing beaty beats, acid, and
some poppin ‘n chirpin ease into a funky house organ-ized groover that’ll
take your set higher. ‘Milwaukee’s Best’ gallops in and develops a see-saw
motion. Add some shakey things, urging percussive beat pulsings and other
items of interest for a very involving piece of action. The flip, well,
if there is a ‘Unicorn in the Basement’ he must sure be makin’ a commotion,
knocking all those cans over, kickin em around and steppin thru all that
sticky mess! And you know that probably means that now ‘We Have Rats’!
Arg! They’re nibbling deep and steady, runnin all over, getting into everything
with a fanatical precision…nibbling, gnawing, laughing at the battery acid
that Unicorn spilt.
6. CARI LEKEBUSCH – REVERTED EP – HYBRID…
The main cut, on the A side has got me dancin’ and I just can’t help
it! Straight off this puppy delivers the goods with a deeply banging big
bad bass beat, trippy, slightly ragga effects and elements brushing by
and echoing long trails of percussion. A sun-splashed regae vox opens the
first cut on the B, leading to galloping percussive beats and brushings,
with those echoey trippy feelings. The second one starts off kinda deep
‘n low then goes off with big beats, trippy trancing echoes, and shakey
shakins to work you, whew!
7. DELTA – 2 – MINIMALISTIX…
‘11KHz’ is a twisted zip ‘n flippy banger matching hooty-hoots and
poppity stuff with a male vox rep. ‘Mental Abduction’ gallops off using
the crop incessently, and soon your mount is flying along hill and dale
and you suddenly become aware that you’re not in Kansas anymore as wild
crickets and elastic acid eats away at your map. Treats on the B side are,
‘Amnesia (Just Close Your Eyes)’ which has that wonderful "just close your
eyes, forget your name, forget the world, forget the people" sample layered
and echoed to good effect amongst buzzin ‘n bangin beats, steady hits,
military feelin drums, and a cool steppin rhythm with neat poppity and
percussive effects. ‘Ice-Cream Flavor’ is a cute little stomper that squeaks
and whistles pulsing whips of sound amidst big stompin doubled beats that
echo intently.
8. TITONTON – AROUSAL EP – RESIDUAL…
Fun with electronics, or, my goodness that acid sure is funky! 4
crazy cuts of techno/electro/minimalism wit da funk, all good candidates
to have a blast with! They all have a quirky charm and are weirdly cool,
steppin and bloopin along with lots of acid, gurbles, and other elastications
of the musical fiber.
9. MAD FUNKY DOGS/THE LOVEMATIC – ANGEL/NERVOUS - DELERIUM RED...
‘Angel’ ain’t so innocent I tell ya! Better believe it, with massive
stomping beats you really feel right there, and with fast sticks of percussion,
ruff squidgin and blippin, and fem vox hits urging, you can’t help dancing
to this classic hard moving techno. This label has been HOT!! On the flip,
it’s The Lovematic getting you ‘Nervous’ with big steady reverberating
bass beats, elastic pulsing sounds of alarm, shakey fast percussion, and
insane squidging!
10. PORTION REFORM - IMBECILE - DOWNWARDS...
Mostly repetitive poppity and banging subsonic bass - a collection
of mentally technoid objects d'art. 'Containment' is poppity and flippity-quik,
with harsh thick bass beats that march above ominous percussive clouds.
'Under Duress' goes off into deep deliberate bass beats, subliminal signaling
sticks 'n shakes 'n knocks and pops, that twist and twirl to trance you
out. Flip it for 2 trackier, minimal repetitive e-q-able numbers. 'Unrest'
goes down, down, down, knocking 'n clicking with metallic floppity spirals
that're minimal and deep, kinda tracky 'n repetitive. 'Resident's' feeling
is tribal and deep, with fast metallic flippins that talk to you, and far
off sticks on bricks that really pick up some steam.
11. PURE PLASTIC - SAMPLER - PURE PLASTIC…
Starfish Pool gets tribally with ‘Bird’, a lightly percussive hollow
drummed quickly tapping and heavily bassed methodical entrancing effort.
Steve Paton does the ‘Theme from E.M.L.A.S.’ Yeah, you remember that show,
doncha? ;-) It was about this guy who had this mini-helicopter that would
fly out of a secret back shed outside of the Disco that he was also the
owner of. Some really interesting stuff was known to happen whenever this
guy and this helicopter would show up, yeah. The prize cut is Ben Sims’,
with the mystically deep ‘Triangle Theory’ that starts off with squinchy
pulses, then beatings of drums, and before you know it, you’re going down,
being hypnotized by twirling, whirling, falling flashes…now THIS is what
I want to be lost in about 4am in the middle of that dancing mass of vibe.
Last up is a deep housey piece by Parallel Systems, ‘at last’ that has
some really nice bass beats and trippy layers of percussion and vocal snippits
repeating.
12. LAURA GRABB – MR. JAYNE MANSFIELD – VIRUS…
Yes indeed, you gotta be tough when you got a precious jewel to escort
to the party. L.Grabb lays out another slap of stompin stuff to toughen
up to. Hard techno with enough power and interest to maintain and retain.
Huge hard zippin and bangin.
13. INFINITY 8 INFINITY - CIRCLES IN SUCCESSION - LOCAL 101...
I'm familiar with this guy's other work, so I really was anticipating
hearing this puppy on the big system...Yowza, yep yep yep. 'Circles in
Succession' is a Banger! Steppin to the hard techno mental stylee with
mad swirlin 'n circling whistles and added elements pumpin the groove!
Next up on this side is an Ambient piece, 'Slow in the Sand,' that's like
a trip down past the basement level to the secret grotto of mystery and
memory. Check out the mad acid scribblin' on the flip with 'The Third Turn,'
a super-poppity 'n flippin twirler with beaty beats that'll take you to
the floor in a hurry!
14. METRIK – RIGID UTILITIES EP – FUTURE FRONTIER…
This former Planet Rhythm artist brings his talents to this popular
Belgium label. ‘Minimal Drama’ is an amazing trance-mental hummer that
drops the velvet hammer. Hello ‘VDO’! Getting the energy up with some intricate
popping, ticking, running deep beats, accented with rubbery sticks and
pulsing ruff reps and some choppa-a-woos! Then, get ‘Backdrafted’! Really
well programmed for maximum mental effect! Ruff, hard, deep, sawing, shooting
pulses and shakes - slamming schtuff!
15. BRIXTON – FLUXINCHEN EP – FLUX…
Here’s a selection of deep, mental trax to get you thru the night!
‘SM20’ fights traffic during rush hour with fast and shakey sticks, big
deliberate beats and deep rough gratings and manic keyboard manipulations.
‘Sexrex’ goes deeper, with steady beats and hypnotic twists, squeeks, horns
and bleeps that make my head swim! On the flip, ‘2B’ submerges under the
rough sea, being pelted sharply with watery rockets, then makes it’s ascent
sawing thru the melee. ‘Peace’ is smooth, deep, bloopy, mellow techno with
some twirly trancing touches. The beats deftly step amongst the light percussion
and modulated harmonics.
16. HYDROFREAKS - DIRTY SYNC - NU FUTURA...
Woo Hoo! Yeah, straight-up Techno done with flair from these 2 popular
East Coast DJ's, Kliprock & Rob Devs, on Frankie Bones' great new Techno
label. 4 intense and energetic bangers with excellent percussion programming
and lots of fun touches. There's even a cut to throw down when the dance
floor needs a bit of a jump-start, on 'Get the F**k Up' this guy yells,
you guessed it, "Get the F**k Up and Dance!" And you will!! Stompin’ stuff!
17. 2CB - VOLUME 3 - 2CB…
Here we go again! 'Future Shock' is an experimental tool, with weird
popping and squirping space sounds, far-off, otherworldly announcements,
and aliens in the attic. 'Rhesus' gives strange and funny clanky scrapin
scruff with beaty beats and bleep'n metal hits (looping at the end!). 'Central
Park' is a cacophony of housey feelings. 'Let Me Tell You Something' has
weird choppy breathing and a girl's nitrous-ized vox and laughs, while
a male vox repeats the song's title and cool beats step and wipe...this
one is real good! 'And Finally' offers some high-pitched signal sounds
and beaty static.
18. MINDLESS BANTER - S/T - LOCAL 101...
Party Music!!! 'Juvenile Suksess' starts you off just right with
a banging 4x4 beat, then adds rusty horn pulses, squeekin' and wheeling
in doubled beats and sticks, gettin deep 'n funky… "I know where I'm going
now." Yes indeed! Right into the sharp, nasty beaty teeth of a sonically
dense percussive party monster. Then 'Mission Vision' delivers thick beats
that don't let up, a minimal driver with trancing undersounds and Fem Vox
urges. On the flip 'Cox In A Box' is poppity, with bangin beats, hits,
and squinchy windings 'n scrapings, as well as some too-cool horn blasts.
19. UNKNOWN - UNTITLED - BLUEPRINT...
A blue label, and not much more info other than that. 2 big cuts,
on the A, you got galloping hard beats that madly twirl, pulse and talk,
"Diddle-wack-diddle" Hoo Hoo! This mental stuff also has some fast finger
snappin all thru that adds to the message! On the B side, it’s a big banger
with fast sticks and shooting that grows funky with deep mental layers
and a kinda long breakdown that gets the beats back up till the finish.
20. DJ ARGONIC – CARNAGE EP – SUBSOUNDS…
Hard ass beats to whip you into a ‘Rage’, a supa stomper that percussively
drives the point home with ruff pulsing twirls, lazers and shocks, and
mental-music speak soundin like a challenge to "go for it". ‘Missile’ is
like hard acid tech-house, beaty reverberations and chip-chu poppins ‘n
shocks swipe playfully as squeeky reps intertwine and fold hippity-hop.
‘Brothers’ beats ‘n scrapes with acid whips and sharp drummin and cool
modulation sweeps. This rekkid seems to get better and better with repeated
play and always gets someone comin ‘round askin what it is!
21. MONOJUNK - THE FUTURE - DUM...
Oh man, ya know, I do kinda hate when a fave UG label gets all popular
and hip, and suddenly, sourcing it out gets nearly impossible! This label,
DUM, is currently becoming Very Popular amongst the cognoscenti of the
genre. They always deliver interesting sounds combined with excellent production
and good pressings. Many layers of sounds and feeling make listening repeated
times a treat, as new elements are always being discovered under different
playing conditions/systems. 3 cuts here, with the main one being hugely
deep and bassy, galloping with sticks and voices that filter in and out.
On the flip, a low steady bass beat and far off percussion combine with
exotic feeling, and the next one is really good with percussive and steady
beats, sounds turnin and squeekin as a male vox repeats something like,
"I refuse to be your chowderhead", or something along those lines!
22. F A T – 100’S OF SUNSETS – TWISTED…
‘Hundreds of Sunsets’ is an epic piece of huge atmospherics that
gets you in the mood, then combines with voices and percussion to explode
into Goa-esque popping steady paced beats and a trancey calling rep sound
for an eerie, deep and moving experience. ‘Itchy and Scratchy’ (edit 37)
is a bit trackier, tho’ with a similar vibe, big and deep with loud crashing,
voices, strange rubs and a hard psychedelic feeling that works well as
an awesome opening or transition.
23. LA WILLLIAMS - THIS IS A TEST - CHISEL...
The title track here is a huge energy building stomper with long
siren-like sounds, a repeating vocal, "This is a test….of the electronic
dance broadcasting system…", cute huh?! It’s got repetitive beats, involving
deep synths, sticks, horney acid and is very involving. On the flip is
‘Beat Reflex’, which has HUGE stomping beats, repeating crunchy pulses
that can speak to you if yer in the mindset for that, whipping acid, fast
sticks of percussion, and then some long ahhh’s and evolving bell tones
that all makes for a deep piece of the getting-in-to-it-to-lose-it vibe.
24. SUBTRAIN – ENCOUNTERS OF A SUBSONIC NATURE – ELECTOTOXIC…
The main cut, ‘Subsonic Sound Travel’ is ok, I like the first half.
Big waves of sound noise comes and goes from deep and dark to brighter
energy with some housey feelings, echoed bass, flanged out time stretched
sounds that goes off dancin with big beaty beats and lots of acid touches.
The gems are the 2 mixes of the title cut on the flip, the ‘Deep Dub’ is
a deep sexy kinda housey mover that’s weirdly elasticky and rollin with
pulsing subliminal messages, soaring twisty synths and, all kind of good
acid. ‘Deeper Dub-MS10 stylee’ really takes off, Woo Wiggy Pop! It’s bangin
with acid, an insane-making sound and insistent hi-hats that gets the energy
up, way up.
25. MARDUK – CLASSICAL DIVERSIONS EP – SONIC GROOVE…
Dietrich Schoenemann here. 4 cuts of varying degrees of techno, 2
with housier, funkier feelings, and even a bit of ambientish subliminally
soothing stimulation getting on the DL (Huis Clos). ‘Stealmind’ is the
biggest and baddest cut here, Woo! Stompin and grinding doings, Sonic Groove
stylee in da house!
26. TECHNETIUM – LOCAL 101…
A variety of tunes to suit the degree of underground event you need
to administer to. ‘Destiny Is…’ could be the clubbiest of the lot. It pumps
along with a deep darkish vibe, big 1234 moderately fast moving elastic
bassed beats with growing acid and trancing sounds and feelings along with
an ominous male vox intoning some serious advice about destiny. ‘Technetium’
Is the one! A dancefloor stormer that’s got amazing banging galloping beats
and is totally involving! Damn! ‘The Definition’ opens with a guy saying,
"…Art is the creation of something beautiful from nothing." Well, yes,
that is the blank canvas theory, but didn’t Julie Andrews sing in ‘The
Sound of Music’ that, "nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could…"?
Well, ok then. This is a real down ‘n dirty funker, jazzed up and out with
some nasty low end acid and lots of swirly head-trippin efx.
27. CONE SCRAPER – MUSTANG – STATE OF MIND…
Big and bold, buzzy and bangin drummy trance. A steady stream of
percussive hits, claps, and clicks rides this horse over the bumpy landscape.
Dj Higinio feeds this animal some super-charged oats for his wild remix,
and Chris Liberator & D.A.V.E. the Drummer train him to perform maneuvers
of precision as the crowd urges him to greater and greater heights.
28. CHRIS SATTTINGER – 1-976-TIMEBLIND – COMMUNIQUE…
These are re-workings of Dj ESP’s Rattlesnake and Comedy:Tragedy.
The main cut here goes on a long deep journey, propelled by poppin beats
as it brushes and squeeks ruffly along, turnin some gears in yer head…Chris
has said before that Techno can be dangerous stuff, and this cut offers
up some of that subliminal suggestive sonic sorcery.(tm!) On the flip are
2 sharp and snappy steppers to stretch and sproing about to.
29. STEPHEN BROWN - CULTURAL VIBES - DJAX...
More like DJ tools to add flavor and enhance the mix. Very deep and full cuts, one without beats, just beautiful synths and kinda experimental percussion that grows (Solar Flare). ‘The Self’ is deep tribal laced with bass and lovely primal feelings. ‘Hard Times’ is a chilled out deep bass monster with muted beats and long synths. ‘Unix,’ the most ‘stand alone’ cut, beats steady with playful running ladders of percussion, swishing, ringing, and cool and deep gurbling.
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1. CARI LEKEBUSCH & ALEXI DELANO – JIMMY’S TECHNIQUE – JERICHO…
Big names on a very cool label that’s been putting out consistent
quality music. ‘Hold Whatcha Got’ is the main cut. It’s a big and scrapey
turnin disco/techno/house banger that gallops hugely deep and funky with
male shouts of the title. On the flip, be prepared for amazement as ‘Take
it Twice’ gets yer head and body going with some galloping thick ass beats,
running floppity percussion, very cool synthings and all kinds of funk
influences that make this one a keeper! ‘Jamaica Center’ opens with some
very familiar chords along with scraping wet slides, brushy percussion,
organ hits, spacey bleepins and echoed Reggae vox snippits along with some
sunshine feelings.
2. MICHAEL FORSHAW - HIRSUITE - MAGIC TRACKS…
Oh Melvin, you’re such a party animal! ‘Melvin’ does the funky breaky-beaty
thang with twirly organ grinder/bell-like sweetlings, shakey shakins, and
vocal loops takin it down. ‘Beatback’ has got the road crew hard at work,
big slow beats, percussive hits and rings, acid builds, the crowd certainly
approves as they cheer and clap wildly as the acid rises. The tune now
relaxes into a chill breakbeat as the acid continues to grind, "bring that
beat back" repeats, yes, this audience is lovin it! More acid pushes it’s
way out, the beats are heavy, oh my, the people love it so! On da flip,
Alan Oldham does his ‘Pure Sonic remake’ of Melvin, turnin’ him out with
bangin ‘n bloopy deeply steppin beats, rubbing turns and vocal loops that
keep you focused on the task at hand. Si Begg’s ‘Dumb Ass mix’ of ‘Strawberry’
ain’t so dumb, but it may tweak out yer brain and make it feel pretty well
numb! It’s kinda experimental and squinchy, with big 4x4 beats alternating
with big breakbeats, human beatbox sounds, and lots of crazy fun :-)
3. GECKO - JUST CLOSE YOUR EYES - DELERIUM RED…
YES! Damn this is a treat! One side is an excellent manic tribalized
discoid thumper to funk it to baby, with sexy sawing bass, guitar licks
and organ-ized voices. The other side is an amazing huge tune, stompin
deeply, runnin all ova the place with a familiar (;-)vocal sample, "Just
close your eyes, forget your name, forget the world, forget the people."
4. LAZYBONES - DUB ITCH – SLOTH…
Do you like that Basic Channel/Chain Reaction sound (another Very
popular stylee nowadays)? Do you like Disco? Welp, here ya go…2 of ‘em,
right here :-) A-side is a discoid clip clap’n deeply along stompin basser
with sticks and clicks and pulsing reggae undertones with a jazzy horn
breakdown and a funky Philly soul (Hall & Oates) feel. The B side is
a trippy and spacey journey that’s deeply knocking on disco heaven’s door!
5. OCTAVE ONE/MAD MIKE & DJ ROLANDO – DAYSTAR RISING/AZTLAN – 430 WEST/UR…
2 sides, sun and moon…starting with the warmth of the sun, get lost in the technotic mysticism of ‘Aztlan’ by MM & Rolando, a big and beautiful deeply stompin ‘n smoothing Detroit techno experience. Then it’s off to the moon with Octave One’s ‘Daystar Rising’ that’ll get a rise out of the dance floor, setting them into motion with steppin steady beats, persuasive percussion, twisty synths, and far away voices, cute hoots and drama hits. Good things to shake what ya mamma gave ya to!
-----------------------------------------------------
1. RICHARD BARTZ - SUBWAY - KANZLERAMT...
I’ve seen this one on many a respected Dj’s playlist. A great producer
and a great label do some great damage! It’s got it all (aside from any
track titles), from some deep space tech house that’s smooth and sexy,
to deeply poppity techno that pulls you in and turns you out, to electro
based grunty tech house with a hugely banging reverberating beat that’s
very funky and deeply grooving, to an Instant Classic, a slamming huge
mental hard and powerful funky bass monster with great percussion and deep
moves that'll talk to you, "I live for it."
2. TERRY LEE BROWN JR. – SKYLARK – PLASTIC CITY USA…
This guy’s stuff sure comes in handy and always goes down a treat.
Tech house with soul befitting the homage d’image (or is it d’homage image’?).
The title cut goes deeply stompin ‘n snappin along, with a hypnotically
weaving house organ, sighs, and subliminal + other vocal phrases that add
nicely to this moving pumper, sexy! ‘Mindless Tides’ is nice to wrap things
up with, the vocal sample, "We are gathered here today to put this beat
to rest" rides a pumping deep mellow beat, lush synth sweeps, and other
lovely feelings. ‘Magic Prison’ goes for big sawing beats, pulsing organ
ladders, neat bongos, crickets and what seems like a raft of other animals
being soothed and riled up at the same time, but they don’t mind, cause
they’re happy! ‘Together’ is a hypnotic pulser with big steady beats that
get doubled and all squidgy, a deep trippy vox, and a guy talking about
crickets chirps…nice!
3. SKAI – THE ART OF SKAI DIVING – PLASTIC CITY USA…
Deep and powerful trancey tech house. ‘Sensurround’ beats steady
and deeply to make a chill funky mover where some space invaders semi-menacingly
shoot watery lasers. ‘Circa’ has deeply pulsing beats and sticks underlayed
by moving elastic bass and lovely sounds and spacey efx that are quite
nice to experience. On ‘Fluorescent,’ you can really feel that mellow thumping
bass buzz! Housey feelings combine with big steady beats and crickets to
form a very trancey and deeply moving piece. ‘Subtalk’ is a more traditional
house pumper, deep and moving, but with lots of nearly subliminal sounds
adding a nice heady touch.
4. MORGAN GEIST – TRIADIC TRIAL – FRAGMENTED…
This one tends to cross boundaries wherever dropped. Deeply funky
in an organic way that pleases the underground connoisseur, and progressive
enough for any club-hed. Morgan continues his strong and steady excellent
contribution of musical pleasure. Combinations of jazzy feelings, tribal,
Latin, and house influences flow deep and smooth on ‘Pico’. ‘Straight Swing’
goes deeper into house territory with lovely female vocals. On the flip,
‘Waterwork’ combines some deep steady bass beats and odd electronics for
a fun and funky zippy stepper that’s quirky and feels oddly familiar in
a really positive way.
5. VIOLET TRACKS - THE OTHER HALF EP – ODORI…
This is the one to make with the sexy moves to ...M. Odori is throwing
down some real let's-get-physical Tech-House grooves on this baby! 'Keep
It Up' on the A side is a big, deep Trippy-Disco bass-heavy stepper that's
fun 'n funky, with vocal hoo-hoots, and neat swipings, which filter just
a bit Daftly in the breaks (The Way You Move mix). The 'Spirit Guide Dub'
starts you off deep 'n spacey, adding cacophonic clattering percussive
elements to a downbeat bass pulse, that then step off smartly to 4x4 beat-land
with a trippy house effect that gets deeply tracky. On the B, 'Days I Wait'
starts the stompin' with percussive backed big bass beats and a spacious
'n spacey atmosphere that evokes Disco glories past, summoning a sweet
familiarity that pulls you through the mist of memory with beautiful strumming
keys 'n bass! 'Youback' is deeply beaty 'n bassy, with a thick spacey sensual
grooving vibe. Deep house sounds and feelings combine to make all the right
moves!
6. COUNTERATTACK – CLINAMIN EP – COUNTERATTAK….
No track names here on this very cool and well produced slabba wax.
8 tracks, 5 of which are some excellent deeply beaty, moving and sexy tech-house
grooves with mysterious vibes and wonderful feelings of ethereal hypnotization.
The other tracks are for sampling and as use for tools.
7. AMSTERDAM INC - V/A - M TRACK…
Some fun stuff here. Orlando Voorn dons his newly shortened "Boy"
mask and does that Playboy deal again on ‘A Paco di Bango World’, this
time it’s a really funny thing with this guy asking for "Something to Bang
his head on" and following his reactions, it all gets progressivly more
frantic. Where you take it after this is up to you! Diskordia does a real
cute one with ‘Bye Nancy’, a deep, hard, kinda abstract tech-houser with
some movie samples poppin’ up throughout 4x4 poppity sounds and beats.
Also notable are deep movin groovers by Quazar (Bridge), and Sterac (Cyvax).
------------------------------------------------------
1. EPC – HANGARS LIQUIDES…
First release here from a new experimental hardcore label from France.
This guy, who has also had a release on the fabulous Fischkopf label, is
only 18?!?!? Jeeze, what a racket to be makin’ at such a tender age! Hee
Hee! 2 mixes of EPC doing La Peste’s ‘Haikumputer’ go off as speed/noice-core,
part 1 being more mechanical with odd vox reps, while the other will electrify
you with acid and may have you end up feeling "prolific". On the flipside,
‘15/02/97’ is a real speedy one! Cool voices are manipulated along with
excellent Hardcore beat patterns, industrial sawing, and other added sounds.
‘Nuclear Tribe Generation’ feels like a huge submarine attack! Very deep,
and everyone’s gone mad with fear, running blindly under water, calling,
blowing whistles, banging on doors……I hear he does a mean live show, too.
I’d go!
2. DJ E RUSH - MOVE THE MADNESS – FIX…
‘Phuture Phunk’ is the one you’re looking for to give the floor a
pounding with that special extra added mental excitement that can only
be had through a liberal application of buzzy brainified machine sounds.
It breaks down enough to take a breath and add some neat time stretched
vocal before slamming off again! ‘Move the Maddness’ goes circling crazy
sounds around, with a woman saying the title, runny bangingly beats, and
more buzzy synths…it is madness, and it certainly does move!
3. FAST FORWARD – ENTER THE TWILIGHT ZONE – FFW…
Get 2 copies of this one and work it! Hardcore, on kind of the happy
tip with lots of old-school sounds used to great effect, Kool!
4. XKV8 – SPASM – HANGARS LIQUIDES…
This is a group from Paris who are known for their very strange live
shows, and, yeah, I believe it! This rekkid is some truly god awful sick
‘n hard torture! Hard-ass noise and shooting lazers, curses, manic pounding
and crazy insane things hittin’ and looping and……ARGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Check ‘Force Fire (precurseur sombre)’, a deep male vox intones the title,
then there’s machine guns firing shooting, zippy trippy sticky maniacal
madness, this is!
5. MISDEMEANOUR - MUSIC FOR LARGE PLACES - DARKSIDE...
‘Step to the Dome’ is dark hardcore with cool beats, an eerie laugh
and horror flick sounds, "what the f**k", "back off!". ‘Me and My DJ’ has
been really growing on me! It’s some good fun stuff with excellent big
hard clear beats, creative scratchin ‘n clappin, cool zippin and filtering,
some old-school rave sounds and cool vocals, oh yeah, and a few screams
for good measure!
6. FIRING SQUAD - HUMANOID INVASION EP – X-ECUTE...
The cut that does the business here is ‘Squadsound’ that big-time
hardcore with screaming machines and the vox, "I am forever." ‘Red Rain’
is pretty good too, zippin and bangin, but I personally don’t care for
the vox talking about blood. The title cut is ok.
-------------------------------------------------------
1. THE ELF ARCHITECT – MEDCOM…
A very good and interesting rekkid that I’ve been getting a Lot of
use from, especially since you can get a different flavor playing the cuts
at 33 or 45 -8! The general flavor of this stuff is kinda out there and
funky with lots of fun and mystery! ‘Three Tales of Fiction’ has HUGE bass
drops, stringy strummins, pulsing hit echoes, whispered words and wiggy
acid that goes in and out of buzzy manic breakbeats. ‘The Owls Are Not
What They Seem’ has got a deep atmosphere laced with intrigue and touches
of loveliness with some violins, soft percussion, electro elements and
voices. Flip for ‘Kindred Minds,’ a wild ‘n wicked deep mental piece that
has the acid circling for the kill, and Bam! Breaky beats come hard and
fast, it all drops out to a vox sample, and chill musical murmerings with
slow, deep beats. ‘Devilfish’ goes deep ‘n spacey with bell tones, whispers,
bass drops and all kinds of trippy shit, with acid assisted breakbeats
that sweep and shoot thru your flesh.
2. CHASER – LIFE IN LOISAIDA – SOMA…
This is the stuff Baby! Lots of attention being payed to this one,
‘nuff respect! The title track is also the best :-) Ok, check it, yer in
a very classy jazz joint, sitting first table to the right of the Band
and your friends are clapping along to the rhythm. You get up to stretch,
and find yourself swayin’ and smilin’. Now you, and a bunch of new friends
are dancing and things are getting very funky! Another fine cut here is
‘Scorpio Rising’ that starts off with beautiful synths and tribally bongos,
a mellow clapping and kinda feels like the ‘Energy Flash’ rhythm pattern!
It gets very deep and beautiful with great drumming patterns and long synths.
3. RESTAURANT TRACKS - POLISH AU PAIR - CHEAP...
I Love this label, I love the people behind it! Crazy, silly, out-there,
serious, intelligent, artsy, devil.may.care, subliminal weirdness, jazz,
techno, funk……so many words to try to pin down a style on this stuff that’s
always gonna stand out from the pack and unique and cool. On the A side,
‘Tompkins Square Park’ is such a hoot! Well, especially if you’ve attended
the annual May Day party there, with all of NYC’s finest nervously standing
around trying to look nonchalant in their riot gear, waiting for the big
trouble that never happens as everyone’s on their best, most smiley behavior
as they enjoy the sunshine and the beats at this little oasis of green
and chillness in the middle of the crazy city. Oh, it sounds like a beaty
70’s funk infested jazz. The other songs go for a funky mix of weird deep
disco and poppity mixed up electronics go real jazzy in the haze of a dream,
and some very groovey beatin’ space funk.
4. NINETON – UNTITLED ONE – SASSE…
Well, it will be a ‘Radiant Hour’ indeed with this on the ole’ sound
system. Get lucky with this horney ‘n groovy disco-fueled funk fest as
it burns along. Ah, now that yer seduced, let’s get on down to the ‘Sugarshack’
to get our groove on from some of that sweet deep smooth house. And make
sure you turn off the lights baby, as ‘The Dark Shape’ comes into play
here as things get kinda deep and um, moving with this wonderful stomper
pushin and unzipin and rubbin it deeply.
5. FEROX ALBULM SAMPLER - FURTHER ADVENTURES IN TECHNO SOUL - FEROX...
Here's a 4 cut sampler from the upcoming 'Further Adventures' compilation.
Some mighty fine people are involved in this one, including Ian O'brein
and Dan Curtin. On the A side, the first band gets steppin to a big disco-fied
beat and funky gee-tar work…just add some cool tone reps 'n brushing percussion,
lovely winding synths, trippy twinkling, and it's soup! Yum! The next cut
is on the deeper tip. Chillin in space, we hear children's laughter flitting
across murmuring bass 'n synth pulses and sticky filtered percussion. On
the flip, first track is some cool drummy Bass 'n’ Space Rock, with military
percussion for that ever-popular funky twang'd trippy feeling. Next cut
finds us groovin 70's style, loungin' in a smoky whiskey joint. Lovely
disc, I'm looking forward to the compilation!
6. HIVE – ULTRASONIC SOUND – FFRR…
The title cut rocks almost Metallica stylee! With wild DJ scratching
and vox’s, it then eases into some trip-hop with rap. The flip is really
great! ‘Moves Within Time’ starts with a cool talker, "…Move within time,
the journey begins…’ then beaty heart beats mesh with lovely and chill
yet eerie sounds and feelings wind amongst this down beat trip hop journey
with jungly influences, combining with vocal wails for a very deep and
interesting piece.
7. FUTURE ON WAX – 4 TRACK SAMPLER – ASPRO…
Hmm, excellent sampler! Best one is Phocean Drive with ‘On Wax’ (Spank
Mix), a funky filtered disco-y number puttin it on with zippy trickery,
alarming acid buzzin and awesome stomping with cool touches. Both on the
B side are really great also. Model Killer does ‘Kill Da Model’ goes slightly
exotic and hypnotic as a deep beaty groover with a wild trippy guitar,
a house organ and lots of neat sounds. Bonemachine turns in ‘The Fix’(Sticks
and Stones) as a deep keeper of the vibe with a stompin 4x4 beat knockin
‘n brushin with a neat male vocal rep of the title. Last, but not least
is the Sterac remix of O’Hare’s ‘Movin’ On’ that has thick ‘n runny doubled
beats with buzzin ‘n building percussion, and very deep pulsing movement
that’s almost tribal.
8. CALYX - TECHTONIC - MOVING SHADOW…
More of that insanely low-ended bass rippin D&B from the UK!
2 tracks of dark-steppin eerie and sinister vibes pervade beneath the drumminess
as the warped bassline does it’s nasty business hittin deep and low amongst
the atmospherics.
9. DAVID BYRNE – FREAKY WICKED REMIXES – WARNER BROS…
Now this was certainly a surprise for me, since I’m not a huge fan
of Mr. B’s recent work, although I pay due credit to his contribution during
the ‘Talking Heads’ era. Some of these remixes do some business, ‘tho on
some, the vocals get to be a bit much…I did, however, like them very much
on ‘Dance on Vaseline’ (Thievery Corp. Meets David Byrne remix) where the
vox really enhances the deep downbeat cool breaky atmosphere. I’ve been
using that cut a lot! Also check out some kinda cool and weird D&B
flavors on 2 remixes of ‘You Don’t Know Me’ done by B-Boy 3000 and one
by Lloop. There’s also a great big bad stomper with cool sounds, vocal
reps and acid on Bill Coleman & Ted Ottaviano’s remix of ‘Wicked Little
Doll’ that’s sure to get some attention!
10. RECLOOSE – SO THIS IS THE DINING ROOM – PLANET E…
Ahhhh…nice stuff, deep, soulful techno with a cool groove. ‘MYM230’
is mixed by Carl Craig as an added bonus! It’s beautiful bassy and beaty
with lovely strummins, doubled beats, a fem scat vox and a fab Rhodes organ,
nice like a deep, long cool drink! CC also does mixing duties on ‘Density’.
Deep atmosphere and bassy popping beaty beats, a timestretched vox, spacey
piano and downbeats in a Jungly vein. ‘Dislocate’ goes into a faster D&B
area with a deep mysterious atmosphere and some spacey jazz.
11. ALIEN STRONGHOLD – SLAMMIN BEATS EP – MEDCOM…
‘The Riot’ is a funked up hard, wild, full, deep rocker, "Come on!"
‘Get Down (speedy)’ is full of buzzy ‘n drummy breakbeats, a rockin jungly
bass, vox yelps and a Diva wailing, "You get down" along acid house touches
and light whistles. B side’s ‘Slammin Beats’ is a funky take-off of those
‘Block Rockin Beats’ with vocal hits and scratchin’. My fave cut is ‘Here
We Go,’ a fun and funky rocker that’s cool and deep and well rocked out
with vox hits, oooh-ooohs and a familiar old-school techno feel.
12. FATBOY SLIM – THE ROCKAFELLER SKANK – ASTRALWERKS/SKINT…
A fun rekkid…Like all this guy’s stuff, he knows how to rock the
party! The title track is some very cool rockin funk with a sampled surf
guitar. On the flip, ‘Always Read the Label’ has a slight Pharma feel with
it’s funky breaks, changes all ova and lots of Latin influences. ‘Tweakers
Delight’ is just that, just some acid, Acid, ACID.
13. FLUKE – ABSURD REMIXES – ASTRALWERKS…
‘Squirt: The Europicolamix’ Dramatic exoticness with excellent breakbeats,
chill, winding synths (kinda reminded me of, I think, Pink Floyd a bit),
long strings, strong + trippy, OOOH, love the vocalization! ‘Absurd:Mighty
Dub Katz Mix’ Acid! Ruff ‘n breaky bassy electro funk…I LOVE that guitar
thing, and that squeeky turning whistley sound, and, Those fem inhalations.
‘Slid:Hypogasmix – Remixed by Global Communications’ Chill ‘n trippy, sweet
wiggin out funk. Steppin nice! ‘Absurd:Landslide Mix’ has deep acid breaks,
tribal and spy touches, ruff. Good.
14. BOOGIE - BUTTNAKED -DANCE MANIA…
Ok, how often do I list some Booty House? Hee Hee, well, ya gotta
shake what ya mamma gave you sometime, so shake to some of this stuff,
with such all time hits as ‘Buttnaked’ and ‘Dog’s Out’. Aw yeah ;->
15. FLY GANG – DISCO MACHINE/FEELING – ROADRUNNER/MEDCOM…
‘Feeling’ kinda nicks Beltram & Daft Punk a bit. Fem vox hits
of the title with backround "walk walk" yelps. "Funky Langoustine" is better,
and groovey as all get out! Disco funk with that infectious laugh from
"High Energy".
------------------------------------------------------
1. GREEN - GREEN EP - CIRCULATION...
First came the green, then the blue, now the yellow is out, and all
flavors are delicious! This label has made a pretty darned good impression
among lovers of the groove! 4 cuts of great tunes to funk the floor up
with and step on out! There’s deep and lovely beats with ethereal feelings
like a beautiful calm night, some big time bass beats with fast background
scrapings and building elements that lead to a really cool and deep break
that’s both lovely and very sexy. Then there’s a lovely deep beaty thing,
and a snappy 4x4 percussive backed hard beater with some funky bass and
brush ‘n click reps.
2. JEROME – ATMOSPHERE – 100% PURE…
If you’re playing stuff in the hope of getting somebody’s mind all
tizzy like, then this label will usually do it’s dardest to provide you
with such material. ‘Epilogue – 2000 and One classic edit’ is a wonderful
thing to behold indeed! Lovely deep electronics start you off on your wonderous
journey, going deep, it’s so lovely, and someone is whistling a sweet tune,
this is nice, then it gets nicer with some brushy percussion, and then,
the beat is there, just materializing right before you and you’re enchanted.
On the flip side, ‘Artmosphere’ is so very lush and lovely with synths
and beaty beats and deep echoing claps. ‘Epilogue’ chatters on long and
deeply for awhile as rising pulsing ruffled synths intertwine with heartbeats.
3. MAAS - ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT - SOMA...
The original mix on here, is a deep and big beaty ‘n horney "wikka-wikka"
disco-house number with clear male vox reps, "House Music." Then, Swag
remixes it into a steppity twirler with lovely hypnotic organ pulsing and
some cool horny talkin. It all filters down to some nice and deep territory
with percussion and beaty beats. On the flip, Nail turns in 2 remixes,
the first is a deep dancer with a cool house organ and some click ‘n shake
percussion that gets kinda breakbeaty, that then settles into 1234 deep
nice bass beats with the vocal hits coming in about half way thru and fading.
The second takes it to a brighter feeling deep house hypnotizer, keeping
the vox.
4. NORKEN - SOUTHERN SOUL - REEL DISCS...
‘Southern Soul’ has been getting a lot of attention. It’s a very
deep smooth and snappy pumper that’s full yet minimal with chillin beats
and lovely pinging spacey sounds. On the flip is the cut I like, first
off, it’s ‘P.Fox’, a tinkly cool ‘n deep strangely soothing little tune
with long strings that pulses chills and beaty grooves, then messes with
the pitch/speed with interesting trippy results. ‘Spring Theme’ is a very
deep bassy ‘n buzzy sleepy soother with chill beats, sticks and lovely
touches.
5. ROY DAVIS JR – THE BEAUTIFUL 0NE – LARGE…
A Lovely tribute. The title track is smooth, slightly shakey funky
twinkly chill Daftly steppin. ‘Motion’, on the flip, is similarly lovely
twinkling and winding, but faster with off-time doubled beats and deep
house feelings.
6. G. DARSA - HEADCORE –VERSATILE…
‘In & Out’ is some pumpin groove thing that’s weirdly sexual,
what with the breaths and moans and organ trills, echoing ladders of sound
and odd efx makin for some cool mixins. ‘Cage’ is a deeply switch hit beaty
beater with cool ‘n trippy voices and funky sounds washed with 80’s style
synthy elements fading in and out and echoing all in and over it. On the
flip are 2 more steppin groove numbers.
7. JOHN TEJADA - THE WALK - PALETTE...
‘The Walk’ steps jauntily along with some sassy percussion and rising
and falling keys and persuasive basslines. ‘Lesson’ could be used as a
primer for explaining the subtle deep elements of house music and the concept
of getting a groove on in the smooth & deep stylee. ‘Soul Driven’ gets
more upbeat and moving along with strongly steppin bass beats, rising shakey
cowbells and percusssive elements, pulsing echoey organ, an airy flute
and lovely textured deep bells. ‘Polarity’ is a deep pumping groove with
low synth sweeps and some male talking about Larry & perfection &
a sound system, and um, "yeah".
8. ADAM & EVE – IT’S A JAZZY THING – NRK…
‘It’s A Universal Thing’ is a sonically dense, filtered, kinda off
kilter, but not altogether unpleasant, slightly weird deep stepper with
voices and talking squids. ‘All That Jazz’ is a smooth percussive groover
with layers of involvement, a rep vox of the title, and "move yer body"
with lots of funky disco elements.
------------------------------------------------------
1. ELMO – ST – SOUTHERN FRIED RECORDS…
Where did I get this Record??!!! I Love it! Los of fun and funky
rockin breakbeats booming with bass and acid acid acid with ‘Acid Elmo’.
‘Elmo’ itself is rollicking silly fun with deep bass beats, percussive
sticks, some reggae, spacey shootings, cool horns, funny vocal chirps and
a hilarious repeating vox that I can’t quite make out what the heck it
sez, "rubber de day" perhaps? Who knows, who cares, it’s fun, and I like
it!
2. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE - THE DAY THE ZAK STOOD STILL - FUSED&BRUISED…
‘Killa Rooster’ (great song name!) is crazy rockin funky breaks that
employs old-school hip-hop sounds to great effect along with a neat repeating
vox, "trouble by trouble by…" and a slight ChemBros feel. The title track
is also crazy with lots of filtering, voices, acid, shooting stuff and
a big fun-filled sound.
3. EVIL 6 - SPOOK/IN A SENSE - EVIL...
Sharp, dark D&B with dramatic atmospheric synths, fem "Ohhh’s"
and voices and Jungly bloopiness alternating with deep and gurgly deep
deep bass and huge drops….woah!!!!!!!!
4. MR VELCRO FASTENER - TIE ENTERTAINMENT...
Classic Electro with pumped up bass and acidic overlays to get really
lost in. Excellent production with the slow and deep circuit burners that’ll
help jump start those sluggish neuro synapses. 5 cuts of awesome bass,
twidlings, fripulated synths, computer vox and vocoders, but never too
much to distract, just enough to amuse and enjoy. Nice package.
5. JACKAL & HYDE – BEYOND/GET DOWN TO MY TECHNIQUE – HALLUCINATION…
First off, I gotta say how great the cover art is! Now the tunes…both
on the Electro tip, ‘Beyond’ a deep & tweaked bass monster laced with
Electro weirdness that’s so good on so many levels. Huge sounds call out
and echo thru the mist, along with the necessary vocoders, of course! ‘Get
Down To My Technique’ is very good old-school Electro with vocoders and
a big spacey atmosphere
6. SONS OF SILENCE VS RONNIE & CLYDE – S/T – LEAF…
Each of them does a track and then it’s remixed by the other. The
Sons of Silence do good, but they are eclipsed by Ronnie & Clyde! The
Sons do ‘Vibra Slap’, a deep whooshing of incoming missles deliver funky
breakbeats, vibrating bass and lots of trippy feelings with some nice fem
vocals. The R&C remix has wonderful sweeps and echoe’d bell tones with
the fem vix goin, "Baby Bay" and awesome plucked melodies with big beaty
breakbeats rock out in space. ‘Fire in the Hold’ by R&C has a very
funky feel with sawing bass, shakey percussion, and a great melody with
bass and piano and a lovely fem vox sayin "love". The sons remix of this
has kind of a funny intro with a voice and is a more upbeat and shakey
trip hop piece delving deeply into bass in space.
7. OCTAGON MAN/DEPTH CHARGE - ELECTRON INDUSTRIES…
Hmmm, at one point, SBK was being agonizingly slow in forthcoming
with new gems, it took awhile for that ‘9 Deadly Venoms’ to be released,
and it was quite the masterpiece. It remains one of RestlessRobert’s fave
rekkids to this day…..we still occasionally use the ‘Dead by Dawn’ song
as a background to our Event Calendar on the radio program! In this rekkid,
he foregoes the silly samplitude and goes straight for the rockin bass
‘n breakbeat throat. ‘Zedd’ is rockin ‘n rollin wit da funky breaks, hittin
sharp. It all filters down and comes back up with a lovely deep synth and
a reverbed bass ending. ‘Zzzedd’ has big, almost violent percussion and
breakbeats, ruff stuff! Huge rumbling bass lines and deep cool mysterious
breakdowns will perhaps have you dancing all about, grabbing the first
person who happens by, swinging them all around and knocking over the dog’s
water, now, that’s some tune.
8. BEASTIE BOYS – INTERGALACTIC – GRAND ROYAL/CAPITOL…
I love the remixes of this, it’s so infectious you just can’t help
going for the ride! A funky vocoded rap goes along for the ride with some
crazy beats and sounds. Check out the remixes for lots more fun though…the
‘Instrumental’ is very, very cool deep ‘n funky electro-hop, and ‘The Strawberry
Bath and Jelly Soles’ Instrumental version is a really neat speeded up
version that does the trick!
9. UPTOWN CONNECTION - RENEGADES - ULTIMATUM BREAKS...
I’ve seen this record on many a breaks DJ’s playlist. The original
mix has rockin breaks with a cool male vox, "Renegades, the true rebel
always walks alone anyway…renegades…" On the flip, the Beber mix really
gets into the spirit, with cool big rockin breakbeats and car squeals.
Gorgeous soaring synths and neat melodic touches and efx make this one
a keeper! Another track, ‘B-Wise’ is kinda dark with cool sounds, getting’
kinda Jungly with a rockin breakabeat and flying organ brushes.
10. FREAKY CHAKRA – DOWNSPACE – ASTRALWERKS…
Dramatic movie-like music orchestrates some impending excitement
for a poppity deep electro-ish jouney with exotic flourishes on the original
mix. Bass Kittens remix it with more breakbeats, melloed with flubby acid
and some farm animals. The real treat on this rekkid is ‘The Leopard’,
an intense poppity electro piece with muted claps and a deep bassiness
-------------------------------------------------------
FUNKY AND PROGRESSIVE CLUBBERS
1. GLITTER INC - DISCO CUBES – ADRENALINE…
A very fun & funky disco bonanza that’s kinda Daft and epic with
cool vocal touches, big beats and acid on ‘Funky Dancer’. On the flipside,
‘Want it Bigger’ is big, with 1234 beats, Latin percussion and bongo’s,
strings and pianos and a rep vox, "louder, bigger". ‘Groovy Dancer’ is
a rockin disco stomper with cool vocal hits of "disco, disco."
2. TAMPERER FEAT MAYA – FEEL IT SHARP REMIX – PEPPER…
Ha! Bet yer surprised to find this one here, well, yeah, it’s pretty
clubby and all, but it is lots of fun if used judiciously. Ok, here’s the
premise, take that song ‘Drop a House’ and combine it with ‘Feel It’ by
The Jacksons, and you have a fun and infectious club romp that’ll have
the ‘girls’ struttin their stuff! My fave mix here is the ‘Feel in the
House’ version which has 6 additional credits on it in addition to the
original authors! This one starts off with a clangy bell and goes into
sharp ‘n snappy steppin beats with funky twists and kazoos, kinda speed
garage like.
3. THE MORPHANAGE - YOUR MIND - BLUE...
Klubbheads! This rekkid always gets ‘em coming up to the booth to
check the label. Kinda clubby flavor thru all 4 mixes. A repeating vocal,
"something for your mind" is thru all the mixes, ranging from 2 mixes by
the Klubheads themselves, one a tribal tinged speed garage flavored stomper,
and the other a clubbier housier one with a Plastic Dreams kinda feel.
Of the flip’s 2 mixes, 1 is clubby and good with synth gating and a beautiful
full feel, the other says it’s an Elektro mix, but it sounds more like
breakbeat Goa!
4. ROY DAVIS JNR - ROCK SHOCK *REMIX* - ROULE …
Roy does a Daftly disco dancer here that’s a real good stompin dirty
funker. Thomas Bangalter’s Stop ‘n Start mix is as advertised, movin’ in
fits ‘n’ starts with weirdly cool breaks, Woo hoo, Lordy Lord!
5. COTTON CLUB – SLEEPNESS NIGHTS – ADRENALIN…
Here’s that Summer clubber you’ve been looking for! Check Stryke’s
‘Minimal Logique Dub’ for some great acid and trippy EQ’s efx mixed up.
Mono Blanco’s "Cotton Candy Dub’ is a wonderful sun-splashed reggae influenced
take with great bass.
6. RHYTHM METHOD – SORROW – ADRENALIN…
This is an excellent and versatile rekkid for all y’all! You got
some Goa/Dream Trance flavors with acid bassed beats and trippy rib-its
breakin out into a really cool vocal, along with lovely strings and synths
with Stryke’s Acid Tears Remix. The Original mix is kinda exotic and deep
with psychedelic breakbeat and a downbeat tumblin’ in space feel that gets
rockin. On the flipside, the Tribal Mix gets deeply funky and trippy as
the acid wanders along breakbeats and lovely touches with scattered vocals.
Then, the Mono Blanco mix goes for the fun, and forgets the sorrow! It’s
a cool and funky acid stomper with a slight Orbish feel.
7. SOSO – HIGHER – UNION RECORDS…
Epic acid breaks with a great intro, fem "aw yeah’s" and male breathing on the Original Mix. Then ya got’s the ‘Hypnomix’ that takes those funky breakbeats out to party with a really cool fem vox urging "I wanna go…party!"
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1. V/A – ANTI-STATIC EP – SPELUNK RECORDINGS…
Here’s the second Ep from this quite interesting label…the packaging
is also of note with a static shield bag, yellow-orange clear vinyl pressing,
and an info sheet coded in PGP. 4 kinda quirky and cool tastes of this
NYC based label of "music for programmers," "music for designers". Hey,
want a real cool answering machine message that fits in just right for
these Electro revival times? Then check out Bolzbolz + Rootpowders ‘Come
Out’, which starts out with a really cool vocoded like message, then goes
into to straight up steppin beats with pulsing cool sounds, electro touches,
steady poppity hits, and lovely twinkling tones making for a very hypnotic
trippy tune. Cron then digs for ‘Beryllium’ scraping the edges of some
odd deep electronics that pop, rub and gurgle. Flip the disc and prepare
for paranoid with ‘Bugs are in Every Room,’ which opens with a cool movie
like sample tellin’ you how they get you! The beats step up big and brushin
with lots of squinchy and poppity fun acid, and odd vocal snippits repeating.
Last up is the slow and doom ‘n’ gloom filled ‘Subcretaceous’ by Him +
Her. Kinda Electro-Industrial, with very deep, slow and forboding sounds,
big dark beaty beats, and harsh electronic pulsing waves. There’s also
a cool little bonus track of neat electronic manipulations and modulations
to play with.
2. MOGWAI – MOGWAI FEAR OF SATAN *REMIXES – EYE Q…
Oh My! Check out the ‘My Bloody Valentine’ Remix for a long meander
thru the dark and dusty corners and discover something new every time with
this loud and twisted altrna/psych/illbient/rock…I ALWAYS get people checkin’
this one out whenever it’s on the radio or played out. This remix is cool!
Check the Mu-Ziq remix for a deep, minimal take with the voices and R&R
elements scattered about. The Surgeon remix has got to be the most thought-provoking
one though, um, I’ll leave it to you to decide – brilliance thru simplicity
or a sonic social statement?
3. SILVERKICK - VINYL SILK EP - FUSED&BRUISED...
Weird and cool trip hop here for the discerning provocateur. ‘You
are my Heroine’ opens with kinda sexy, kinda scaey "oooooh oooh’s" that
run all thru with chill trip hop. Quirky and interesting with a neat foreign
female rap and mouth clicking. ‘Ancillary’ is another strange deep one,
more experimental, getting poppity and brushy with harmonics getting chilly
and out-there. On the flip, ‘Vinyl Silk Emotion’ has scat vocals, gurbley
layers, long strings, tinkling keys and lovely touches throughout. Lastly,
‘Fuller’ goes a rockin downbeat with a squeaky jazzy feel and old planes
and weird flying things buzzin’ about.
4. AIR LIQUIDE - ULUDAG - BLUE PLANET...
Not only for the ambient lover, the 4 parts of ‘Uludag’ play like
the choice ingredients of a sumptuous sonic stew. Part 1 has deep and spacey
windings and washes with funky beaty beats that talk to you to create a
nice deep groove. Part 2 circles layers of whistlings and birds with slow
bass reverbs and ambient beats. Part 3 is a deep and mellow rockin breakbeat
excursion with horney acid pulsings, and an eerie wind whistling thru the
woods as voices call out and echo all around you. Part 4 takes it out to
deep space, where unknown alien entities are intercepting transmissions
from earth…a whisper of love, an angry moment, an old TV show, and…?
5. MIRA CALIX’S – PIN SKEELING – WARP…
What a weird rekkid! Very different, part cool, part scary! Ok, 2
apparent songs, with 2 remixes of one of them for 4 cuts over 2x10 inches
of well pressed vinyl. ‘Ms. Metro’ tunes up the cosmic orchestra and summons
some huge reverberating bass which goes off slow ‘n deep with a supa-weird
vox repeating thru the space-dust, "take me to the sunshine, take me to
the sun, I miss the sunshine, I miss the sun," along with subliminal tribal
drumming and insect chatters. The original of ‘Sandsings’ is found among
the static of space, a guitar is sharply plucked on the universal string,
a fem sings sassy snatches amongst some very deep buzzes, drops, and ringing
bottle caps being tossed at bottles. The ‘Stylophone Mix’ of it slides
into downbeat melancholia, "melting" deeply with brushed out percussion
and tripped up vox tones. Then, the current darlings of the IDM scene,
Boards of Canada, remixes it. It deeply beats with muted ringing tones,
vocal snippits repeatedly sing, "lost…" as you keep traveling, looking,
and the doors keep closing behind you…no turning back now!
6. OZZY - CLICK – THULE…
‘Clikk 1’ ‘Klick 2’, which is which is hard to know on this 10".
The info side cut is a very deeply throbing sexy minimal groove with percussive
accents, some static, and calling pulses to tickle yer funk bone. The logo
cut is more of a squeeky sharp steppin groovin bass thang. Minimal deep
kinda out there stuff that does a treat when used under the proper circumstances.
7. POLE - TANZEN - KIFF SM...
Staticky, crackly, subterranean blips and big bass drops with tons
of depth and atmosphere, layers of tones and feelings with a slight reggae
splash.
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CD’S AND FULL LENGTH RECORDINGS
GLOBAL GOON - CRADLE OF HISTORY *2XLP* - REPHLEX…lp
Sweet and fun bloopiness of cosmic love, dubbed out funky space tweedles
and tones of progressive soft rock, familiar, deeply imbedded melodies
and memories, quirky electronics and vocalizations, beaty beats, weird
humms, downbeat coolness, jazzy atmospherics and theramins…it’s all here,
and more! Over 20 tracks here on this very pleasant ride that’ll surely
make you smile! I could say much about this carnival of sound and emotions,
but g’wan, treat yer ears to this stuff and find out for y’self!
BOARDS OF CANADA – MUSIC HAS THE RIGHT TO CHILDREN – WARP…lp
A pretty cool full length from this interesting duo who’ve been getting
big-time press in IDM circles for quite some time now. And, the fact is,
this stuff is very cool and well made. Influences and attitudes from multi-genres
and cultural influences add into the equation. The multitude of styles
available here range from some lovely bright, sweet ambience, to deep,
dubby, space bass ‘n downbeats and melodic harmonics, deep, lush synths
and pianos, to funky rockers and a speech about your freedom. All throughout
there are children’s voices, and other vocal touches, layers of interest
and feeling make repeated listening a pleasure. Some of the cuts will make
you feel light and airy, and some like you’re at a block party very late
at night!
FREAKY CHAKRA – BLACKLIGHT FANTASY – ASTRALWERKS…
Ahhh, yeah, a trippy tour de force for the Freaky ones, long a purveyor
of the hypnotic groove. My picks o’ de pack are - Take a journey into ‘Hyperspace’.
A deep beaty weirded out shocky ‘n watery runny stomp ‘n switch with a
primal feel. Shoomp shoomp, brush boomin, yeowza, ‘Fascist Funk’ is a deep
and dirty psychedelic get-down. The title track on the album, ‘Blacklight
Fantasy’ is very cool, kinda epic! It stomps steadily along with very trippy
winding shakey keyboards making really neat patterns combined with mid-range
synthing manipulations and a growing and repeating vox "it’s just a black
fantasy." ‘What?’ stomps and squirms all over with ladders of rising sounds
echoed in the distance, as a woman runs, breathless, "What?" she asks…very
neat sounds in this! ‘Thing’ opens with intrigue, then segues into a spacey
‘n bassy chilled rockin electro groove with tripped out efx and male voices.
‘Living In The Future’ is a sort of rockin ‘n zippy electro-funky break-acid
jazz experiment with lots of really neat electronic pops and crackles,
varied voices complete the wig-out!
TECHNO ANIMAL – VERSUS REALITY *2X12 - CITY SLANG…lp
Oi! Where to start even trying to describe the mental mayhem and
all-around head-f**king this baby causes, and people seem to dig it! Dropped
as part of an experimental/noise set or as a general additive, this is
sure to cause a commotion, even if it’s only in yer own hed! Ok, here’s
the deal, there’s the track, and then a notable artist remixes it. Highlights
for me are, ‘Demonoid’, a deeply basses and funked out trip modifier that
just may be the first chronicalization of the machine elves doing the dance
of non-existence. Then Porter Ricks re-manipulates it and you’re drilling
towards magma here, Jeeze, watch yer bass bins, no, better yet, sit on
them!!! ‘Deceleration’ is heavey with a low flying attack and capture,
its remix, by Ui is electronic humoresque, trying out a new function. The
‘Bionic Beatbox’ version by Tortoise is odd fun, speeding ‘n slowing with
a spacey jungly feel. Also check out the Alec Empire version of ‘Atomic
Buddha’ for a sonic and deeply atmospheric jungle experience.
STY WARS – A COLLECTION OF PORK MEDALLIONS – PORK…cd
Some Porky fun for you!!!! Man, I love this stuff! The varieties
of the Pork label are represented and re-mixed here for your maximum delectation.
Enjoy the flavors of these juicy slices of prime fare…’Bizarre Love Pentangle’
is a chill ‘n lovely sweet thing, ‘Poodle Calf’ is some 70’s stylee ‘Blue’
infused rockin funk, ‘Kingsblood Royale’ is deep and very sexy, ‘Punctus
Contra Punctum’ is exotic tinged funkin fun!
SILENT BREED - RETURN OF - ACID FUCKERS UNITE…cd
A lovely selection of the finest in acid and hard beat mayhem by
the Acid Fucker himself, Thomas P. Heckman. What more could be said of
these fine moments in mental mayhem…followers have long sought and savored
such great tunes as ‘Sync In’, ‘Chemicals’, ‘Chemotherapy’, and of course,
‘Return of the Acid Fucker’. Solid.
ROBERT HOOD - HOODLUM 2XLPS - DRAMA...lp
The calls continue to come in wheneva I drop cuts from this acid-house
type groover on the radio…. there’s a large contingent of house heads in
the area and they’re pretty vocal when they like something! There are 5
main tracks, and 4 tools and filler pieces ranging from some orchestral
bass trombone drama to twirling bells and percussion. The cuts are like
deep and trippy acid house. ‘Public Enemy No.1’ is a deep heartbeat pumper
with sticks, sweet pulsings, some sexy vox reps and a twirly mysterious
twangin that seems to urge you to "play all day", well, that’s what I thought
it was saying! ‘Rumors of My Doom’ must be greatly exaggerated, cause this
is a feel good groover! It’s got a real happy-go-lucky energy with a funky
steppin beat, some acid bass farts, excellent synthing and lovely ringing
pulses. 2 mixes of ‘Grace Under Fire’ get some lovely deep feelings going,
one is a more squidgy and beaty groover, while the other, ‘The Nighttime
Mix’ is dubbier with those lovely keys, that develops snapily and deeply
steppin beats later in the mix. Then, lastly up, the big tune, ‘Underdog
Overcome’, boldly steppin deep and funky with brushes, sticks and modulated
acid pulsings will sweep you up into it and get you moving!
MANNEQUIN LUNG - ART OF TRAVEL 2XLPS. - PLUG RESEARCH…lp
‘The Silver State’ by this guy, otherwise known as Allen Avanessian,
has been garnering good reviews since appearing on that wonderful Plug
Research compilation a few months back. It’s big ‘n beaty brightness coupled
with crackling good gurglins ‘n brushes. It’s said to be one the more floor
friendly pieces here, and it’s often being described as Intelligent, or
Experimental . Now, after several listenings and plays in various types
of settings of most of the cuts, I’m happy to report to you that’s it’s
all house. Nice, deep, steppin and getting low and sweaty deep house. Many
of the tracks have neat effects and lots of trippy elements that do lend
it a bit of an ‘out-there’ feelin, and that feelin is pretty good.…….now
get yerself down to that basement and work it out! Yo! You gotta get some
ear on ‘City Lights’, a very deep beaty excuersion with a cool narrative
that’ll have ya swaying in no time….yeah, yer gonna do the hyno-bob all
thru this baby!
MARCO CAROLLA - 1000 COLLECTION *2X12* - 1000…lp
Arga Arga Arga! That just may be the only sounds yer capable of making
if you subject yerself to the whole thing at once at high volume. Marco
has been puttin out a series of limited 12" for awhile now in limited quantities
on his 1000 label. Now, here, is a collection of ‘em, including 3 unreleased
tracks. These are powerful techno tools of hard driving intensity and intricate
mental patterns of percussion and all the good stuff that makes the most
of the benefits of the liaison of man and machine for the benefit of an
audience in need of release.
I-F – FUCKING CONSUMER 2X12 – DISKO B…lp
Ok, lots of you have heard/heard about one of the tracks here, "Space
Invaders are Smoking Grass’ a very cool buzzin ‘n bleepin electro piece
that was a hit from the git go on that popular ‘Interdimensional Transmissions’
series presenting various artists. Maybe some of you even know this guys
other aliases, including one of my old faves, ‘Beverly Hills 909303’. What
you probably will be surprised by, especially considering his past, is
the extreme funkiness that this full length has a firm grip on..he does
seem to be keeping some very interesting company, as noted on the Disko
B web site, and you also don’t know what to expect from the Disko B label!
I picked this up because I’d gotten requests for the track ‘I Do Because
I Couldn’t Care Less’, a really neat spoingy electro with a whistlin synth
that delivers some big bold fun. Even better, are the tracks ‘Spieglebeeld’with
a gurgly trancey feel and a 4x4 beat that gets real deep and beautiful,
and ‘Playstation No.1*instumental*’, a chill paced spacey electro piece
with kinda a D&B feel that rocks out with acid and wigged out electronics.
ANITA HAXSAW – UNMIXED:SONGS FROM PLUUTONIQUE – EMERGE/TIMELESS…cd
Moody, hypnotic gear that’s cool, trippy and deep, steeped in the
atmosphere of mystery. Tones of tribal, trip hop, rock and goth influences
all interwoven with the most interesting vocals of Ms Haxsaw. Especially
of note are ‘Home’, ‘Extra Bold’, and ‘Scapegoat’.
DJ? ACUCRACK – MUTANTS OF SOUND/ADVANCE MUSIC – MERCURY…cd
This guy has been getting a Lot of attention with this CD, and did
a tour which garnered a bunch of good press. I got my copy of the cd a
few days too late to know about the tour, but I’ll catch him next time
through, cause this music rocks! Utilizing a myrid of influenes and elements
of sound and samples, DJ? Acucrack crafts an album interest with only a
few misses when the line of a more commercial flavor seems to impinge.
Check some slow ‘n squishy, dubby ‘n deep gurglin beatyness tempered by
acid and some breakbeats that grows strong on ‘Allegra’. ‘Swollen With
Glee’ has marchin beats, and gets really deep and cooly weird with some
neat samples, far off acid and trippy horns. ‘Nation State(parts 1 &
2)’ is a long trancer of bangin 4x4 beats, gated vox’s, deep whooshings
and horney acid. There’s also some spacier stuff and a cut ala Alec Empire
that comes up from the depths of space and blasts off, ‘Bitch Universal’.
CUBANATE – INTERFERENCE – TVT/WAXTRAX…cd
Industrial Jungle! Great stuff, 10 tracks of goodness that rocks
out with interesting vox’s, jungle beats, dark industrial flavors, big
sounds and spacious feelings. ‘The Horsetrader’ sounds a bit like NIN+Chemical
Bros+Sisters of Mercy with kinda downtempo serious talkin spaced out with
bass. ‘Isolation’ is excellent with it’s deep into, rockin bass buzz with
Jungly elements, a cool vox and darkness. Also of note is ‘Ex’ which drops
the vox, goes for the 4x4 beat which gurbles deeply and grows.
INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH ANTHOLOGY 1 – THE LOST TRACKS – INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH…cd
Some wikkid beats to wallow in whilst wandering thru fields of wildness…well,
there’s a lot of great tracks ‘recovered’ here, where were they? Great
hard beats and acid everywhere, that fills that space between hard driving
techno and hardcore. Highlights include, The Mover with the huge ‘n heavy,
deep dark echoes of ‘Frontal Sickness’, Disintegrator’s ‘Dark Black Ominous
Clouds’ that steps steady and deep with trancey percussion and acid drive-bys,
and the always fabulous Laura Grabb with the stomper ‘Force Factor’.
INDUSTRIAL F**KIN STRENGTH 2 – UNLEASH THE BRUTALITY, FEATURING DJ MIX LENNY DEE…cd
Here ya go, it’s that special something you need to get crazy to,
for all those times when you feel the world closing in around you…Get out
of yer hed with a bunch of bangers, Brooklyn stylee, with the extra added
attraction of a mix by the wild-man of hardcore himself, Lenny Dee!…oh
yum, dinners on! Note, if you are planning to play this on FCC/American
radio, use tracks 2, 4, 6, 12, 14.
THOMAS KONER – KAAMOS-TOTAL ATMOSPHERIC AMBIENCE – MUSIC STATION…cd
Someday I may be able to give this one a complete review, cause I
haven’t been able to get past the second track…I keep falling asleep! It’s
very quiet and deep ambience with slow drop-ins of a VERY deeply booming
bass pulse. So, If you have that occasional problem falling asleep, and
don’t freighten too easily, I suggest you pick up a copy of this puppy!
SPECTRUM FEST – MICRO BREWED MUSICAL ARTISTRY – RELAPSE…cd
Ok, this looks like a promo CD released in ’96. I was browsing the local Borders book & music store, and found this cute gem alongside a surprising and excellent variety of intelligent electronic music and dance. There’s 2 jazzy smokers tunes (‘Light Up’ & ‘When I Get Low I Get High’, a coupla trash rock pieces, and some very cool ambient pieces, with 1 in particular by Bastard Noise, ‘Contaminated Rations’ that reminds me of those darlings of the post-ambient movement, Oval. Check it out if’n you get a chance, good fun for cheap.
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WoW! What an issue this has been! Look for the next issue to be out by the beginning of August…
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Comments? Suggestions? Questions? Send them to YouThere@technotica.com
I’d like to extend my sincere Thanks for all the great feedback I’ve been receiving on behalf of ‘The Technotic Times’! You know, information IS power, and I believe in sharing it, so, send anything you may might want included in future editions on over!
Peace (-<)
Linda Leigh/L3
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