Featuring JOEY ANDERSON

Hush House favourite Joey Anderson has steadily been making a name for himself over the past few years. His style of house verges into the realm of the avant-garde, and sometimes defies categorisation entirely. He's also done some exceptional mixes as a DJ, including a special one for us, which predates both his RA and XLR8R efforts.

HH MIX #041 - Joey Anderson [download]

It's with great pleasure that we get to introduce his first solo LP, entitled 'After Forever'. Upon full listening, some people may find that the album is less accessible than your typical dance LP, but that's what makes it standout in a market saturated with disposable releases.

For example, the ethereal synth washes and gurgling lines of the track 'Space Colors Ideas' sound as though they might have kinship with artists on labels like Editions Mego or Warp. The track is entirely beatless, and shows just how far the artist is willing to push his sound left of centre. Again, 'Maidens Response' combines the sonic aesthetic of experimental music, with that of traditional house music. Sparse use of snare drums accounts for an extremely murky and cerebral sound, breaking down the mould and solidifying Anderson's sound.

In all of Joey's work subtlety is key, but in this album in particular, he demonstrates that philosophy to great effect. 'Brass Chest Plate' begins life as little more than a fast kick drum, hats and a drony bassline. But soon the track builds piece-by-piece and unfurls into a dancing sonic array of delayed kit sounds and almost trance-like detuned synth arpeggios.

Be sure to give the album a few listens, as it will take time for some to adapt to Joey's idiosyncratic sound. But without a doubt, this will be an album remembered to have captured the zeitgeist of contemporary house music in 2014.

After Forever LP - Joey Anderson [Dekmantel]


Pre-order [DKMNTL017] at Rush Hour.

Words by: Ethan Becker

Introducing NOT SO MUCH

photo credit: Dan Reid

Mosca has come a long way since bursting onto the scene with the Night Slugs crew in 2010, gradually modulating his sound away from the grimey, garage-licked flavours of those early records towards a more direct, strictly-defined house and techno style. This change was typified in the excellent ‘A Thousand Years’ Wait’ on Delsin offshoot Ann Aimee late last year, and is further displayed here in the 'No Splice No Playback' two-tracker on his new label, Not So Much.

The first track is ‘Suckle (Twenties)’, six minutes of deep, driving house that could be mistaken for early Levon Vincent work - stomping, marching percussion punches out around a whirling synth. Though the metamorphosis towards 4x4 territory is in full-effect, the vibrant catchiness of earlier releases (‘Bax’ et al.) is still on show - the melodious ring to that main synth embodying what’s quickly becoming the ‘typical’ Mosca sound.

On the flip is ‘Vinny (Flamingo)’. An even more direct offering than the former, this one is a brooding basement lurker that pumps a stifled, padded kick through ringing bells and shuffling hats. Slightly more subtle, there’s scope for this to operate as a transitionary moment from lighter sounds towards the after-hours vibe.

No Splice No Playback EP - Mosca [Not So Much]


Overall, a strong start for Not So Much - check the vinyl on April 28th and the digital on June 2nd.

Words by: Matt Woods

Featuring AWESOME TAPES FROM AFRICA

Brian Shimkovitz unearths some of Africa’s finest musical gems. Sharing his discoveries on his blog and label of the same name, Awesome Tapes from Africa facilitates a beautiful journey from cassette to wax. Interestingly, its latest offering, 'Shaka Bundu' by Penny Penny, is something of an exception. A massive hit in South Africa, the album actually sold over 250,000 copies during its first run in the early 90s.

Riding unashamedly poppy keyboard hooks and call-and-response vocals, Penny is undoubtedly the star of the show. Having risen from janitor to politician, the South African also stands as a leading figure of the Tsonga disco scene. Penny’s trademark laugh and almost slurred delivery is at its best on key anthems ‘Zirimini’ and ‘Shichangani’. Alongside bright female chants, Penny’s own wails and yelps are just as infectious as the tracks' feel-good synths. Indeed, it would be a shame to only shower Penny with praise; his producer, Joe Shirimani, clothes the album with its distinctive slow house rhythms and resultant summer warmth.

For a taste of Awesome Tapes check out Brian's marvellous Beats in Space mix and his Boiler Room appearance, featuring two tape decks and a mixer.

Shaka Bundu LP - Penny Penny [Awesome Tapes From Africa]

Penny Penny's 'Shaka Bundu' is available from Juno.

Words by: Isaac Rangaswami

Featuring LEGOWELT

Legendary Dutch producer Legowelt's latest LP adds a new chapter to the recent influx of nostalgia-driven albums, and pays homage to the tech-noir films of the 80s. Its title can be broken down to probe the three techniques that give the album its distinctive sound.

The “Crystal” is the compression Danny Wolfers employs - the director's signature in film terms - to make his music sound so unique. The record's sound palette creates the feeling of walking through a misty forest at midnight.

The “Cult” is fashioned through eerie vocal samples scattered throughout the LP, with phrases such as “you will be reborn” in ‘Excalibur R8MK2’ and a request to “explore Cyberspace” in ‘Cyberspace is Still Happenin’ For Real’. Instrumentally, the cult is exemplified through different elements of acid, techno, house and ambience, especially in the grittier cuts, such as ‘Psychotic Endurance’, and 'The Future of Myself', and the title track, 'Crystal Cult 2080'.

As for the “2080”, Wolfers has utilised a second-hand Roland JV2080. A legendary synthesiser he acquired in Tokyo to pioneer the atmosphere of the LP. A minute into the opening track Wolfers has already lured you to his neon electric dream world.

There are no stand-alone tracks per se, instead a series of ideas and stories, each with their own theme and journey. In order to get full satisfaction, I recommend listening to it in full. However, if you're after a 'trailer', ‘Fundamental Superstition’ hints at what to expect.

Crystal Cult 2080 - Legowelt [Crème Organization]


Pre-order [CRLP11] from Delsin.

Words by: Stephen Daniels

Featuring CLARO INTELECTO

Delsin represses Claro Intelecto’s stunning ‘Peace of Mind’ EP from 2003, after it was first released on now defunct British label Ai Records. The EP starts with Peace of Mind (Electrosoul), a frosty, futuristic piece that’s dripping in the melancholy of a not so distant future. Sparse keys sound out into an empty void for the first couple of minutes, before Intelecto gradually eases in some sharp synth stabs. Think Blade Runner-style cityscapes and you’ll conjure exactly the kind of sound Intelecto intends here. It’s less sci-fi and more sci-funk, with the awkward, staccato grooviness of the track being propelled through a strict, robotic sense of rhythm.

‘Tone’ starts with shuffling hats and off-beat, saturated kick drums. After the linearity of the first track, this one’s a dark and disorientating exploration of the underworld. If we’re still stuck with the Blade Runner analogy, we’re no longer floating high above the cityscape. We’ve descended deep into the murkiest corners of the dystopia, as the overdriven crunch of acid squirms and jolts its way through five minutes. The drums maintain their lack of orthodox patterning throughout and seem happy to roam free, grizzly snares and hi-hats wreak havoc throughout.

The third track, 'Contact', switches it up yet again. This time, bassline weight takes centre stage, wherein a booming, pulsing envelope of sound dominates. Icy drum work finds a sense of convention once more, kicking and clapping in uniformity, much like in the EP’s opener.

Finishing up is a more ambient, atmospheric cut, consistently mainly of swirling, eery pads and deep, throbbing synth lines, which pan and zone freely amongst an Aphex-style electric melody.

The decision from Dutch label Delsin to re-release an eleven-year-old British EP may initially seem strange, but on closer inspection it seems like a shrewd move. The record hasn’t dated one bit, far from it. Every tune sounds as chillingly futuristic as if it were produced only yesterday. Top notch production and a perfectly executed aesthetic makes this one timeless.

Peace of Mind EP - Claro Intelecto [Delsin]


There's still a few copies left at Redeye.

Featuring SPENCER PARKER REMIXES

Berliner Spencer Parker drops a couple of remixes of his most recent release, ‘The Moment Not The Memory’, allowing techno heavyweights Answer Code Request and Aaron Siegel to apply their own stylings to the three-tracker on Parker’s own Work Them Records.

Looking first at Answer Code Request's remix of 'Spacial', straight-up, no-nonsense techno that’s fed through a narrow tunnel, as swirling, tryptamine-tinged synths reverberate around a bouncy kick drum. The whole affair isn’t particularly ground-breaking, but he knows what he wants to achieve and does it well. It's a heady, big room sound, designed to deliver on a grand scale.

ACR supplements his full-length effort with an interesting 'Loop Mix'. It’s that same dubbed-up synth loop, just dripping in a little more saturated fuzz. It plays out for the majority, so would be a useful DJ tool for the adventurous amongst us. It’s practically praying for somebody to apply a beat to it, so could produce some interesting results in the right hands - a cool addition to the release.



Aaron Siegel, the man behind the impeccable FIT imprint, delivers a broken, left-field version of ‘Faster Forward’ on the flip. Classy piano hits are coupled with a grooving bassline, which propels things onto the very edge of dancefloor territory. Though far less direct than ACR's, the track isn’t short on quality and closes out an interesting release, which covers all the bases.



Coming soon at Juno.

Featuring XDB

Steffi's Dolly imprint returns with #017 and a second outing for Metrolux boss XDB. Answer Code Request provides a loopy remix of 'Ganivon' to start things off, adding crisp, high-end synths to XDB's percussive and whimsical original.

Personal favourite 'Tonik' kicks off the B-side with sliding synths and an array of groove elements. There's subtle atmosphere here too, which adds a lot on closer listening. Finally, 'Liberty' plods along without the signature percussive-led grooves of the other two originals, but with a chirpy synth line that builds throughout the track.

Ganivon EP – XDB [Dolly]


[DOLLY017] is sold out at most shops for the time being, but there appears to be a few left at Clone and a repress is already underway.

Featuring HIVER

The Italian duo Hiver, who recently contributed to our exclusive mix series, have delivered their third release, 'The Uncolored Truth'. It's their second on Vidab Records and a fine delivery of two beautiful pieces of electronica.

A-side 'Zefiro' is a restrained affair. Subdued percussion and ambient melodies marry together in a way that Hiver seem to have done so well previously. Nothing is contrived or too in your face and the atmosphere carries the listener along softly. The song breaks down to almost silence half way through, returning slowly with its kick, then its percussion, before delving back into the previous soundscape. Its uncertainty gives the track an air of melancholy, and is all the more a gem for it.

The Uncolored Truth EP – Hiver [Vidab]


On the flip is 'Right Place', which steps things up a little. Still with reams of atmosphere, the percussion is this time much more in the foreground, the drum programming and bassline working to create a solid groove without losing any of the feeling from the beginning. Soon, synth stabs phase slowly over the already laid foundations, bringing the track to a natural peak before ebbing away nicely to conclude.

HH MIX #047 - HIVER [download]


[VIDAB 10"02] is available now from Juno.

Featuring GALCHER LUSTWERK

Combining elements of hip-hop with atmospheric house is a very difficult task. Traditionally, for the most part at least, the two forms of music have been like oil and water. This is what makes Galcher Lustwerk's work so impressive. His sound follows in the vein of tracks like Matthias Meyer's 'Infinity' which subtly nods to 'From '93 'til Infinity' by use of a sample from early nineties hip-hop outfit Souls of Mischief. It's what could be regarded as "street sensible" house music.

As well as owing some of the aspects of his sound to hip-hop, Galcher also draws on the ethereal realms of deep house, as well as electronic outfits like Underworld. This is most evident in the track 'Outside the Club' from Galcher's lauded 100% Galcher mix from last year; a mix most consider to be an album in its own right.

Having only one EP to his name, released last year on Brooklyn's White Material label, this month sees the producer release the four track Nu Day EP on Tsuba.

'Fate' opens the EP with the trademark deepness we've come to expect from Galcher. An ethereal synth runs throughout the track, with some lo-fi synth bleepiness featured along the way. The slightly more upbeat, but equally deep 'Nu Day' follows with more emphasis on a solid kick drum to drive the track forward. '216' is the first track on the EP to feature Galcher's smooth raps as he proceeds to the mic with precision. On the last track, 'Chillin in the Booth', Galcher offers up his mic skills over a lo-fi crunchy house track that rounds out the EP to nice effect.

Nu Day EP - Galcher Lustwerk [Tsuba]

Look out for the pre-order at Juno.

Words by: Ethan Becker

Featuring MOVE D: FABRIC 74

David Moufang is one of those DJs who finds himself lauded with the most peculiar of titles - that infamous cliché of a 'DJ's DJ'. In truth though, you'd be hard pressed to knock his CV. Having been in the game since the early 80s, his position as a house heavyweight is undeniable, gaining a reputation for delivering no frills, hard-hitting sets, heavily-laden with wax.

So to Fabric 74, as Moufang is tasked with compiling a mix for the London superclub. The mix is exactly what you'd expect - fifteen tracks spread over eighty minutes, classy deep house selections with intelligent, patient transitions from scene to scene. There's no frenetic DJ wizardry, no effect-crazed tomfoolery, just an incredibly honest and, for want of a better word, simplistic mix that lets the tunes do the work.

Two tracks in, the dub mix of Liz Torres' 'Your Love is All I Need' warms things nicely before Moufang teases the Liberty City classic 'Some Lovin' for a good three or four minutes, allowing the soaring vocals to really hit home which kicks the mix off to a flying start.



What follows, is a series of peaks and troughs that characterise a peak time Move D set. There's the kaleidoscopic, disorientating acidity of Darkman's 'Annihilating Rhythmn' jostling with the shuffling retro-euphoria of K-Alexi's Dub mix of MD III's 'Shake That Body'. When the mix slows down slightly to create space for Dom 877's 'Do It Right' and collaborators JuJu & Jordash's 'Loosey Goosey', the quality remains. In fact, the 877 tune comes close to being the pick of the bunch - it feels like the perfectly choice cut, slotted in exactly the right place in the way only a DJ of Moufang's prestige knows how.

Things get seriously jackin' again as we move into the last quarter as Moufang draws for a tune that will sound familiar to anybody who's caught a Move D set in the past few years, the garage-tinged, sub bass roar of Last Magpie's 'Roots' mingles with David's own 'Luvbyrds' - the only of the artist's own productions to make an appearance. Just like the beginning of the mix, the final 10 minutes or so dwindles down the gears gradually, finishing up with the blissfully smokey, cosmos-wandering 'Unke' by Hush House favourites Smallpeople & Rau.

On this latest mix, Moufang shows just how comfortable he feels behind the decks - the formula is the same as always, so don't expect anything different - just genuine deep house with soul, treated with the respect it deserves.

Fabric 74 - Move D [fabric]

Available now from Juno.

Introducing PALMS TRAX

Berlin-based newcomer Palms Trax offered up his 'Equation' EP on the equally fresh-faced Lobster Theremin late last year. Coming out of nowhere, this three track release did enough to put both names on the map and warrant a repress (coming very soon).

The first track, 'Late Jam', is a tidy, no-nonsense groover that punches its way through five-minutes of heavy-hitting kicks and warbled, nonsense vocals with aplomb. A stinging, electrified synth stab sits laboriously on top for good measure.

Second track is the title number, 'Equation'. Old school piano lines are brought into the mix, whilst the same razor-sharp synth hits found in the opener are deployed expertly once again. Shuffling along throughout is a heady mix of percussion; melancholic without being dreary, simplistically hard-hitting without being linear. Palms Trax has clearly been honing his craft steadily prior to this release, as the production value is very, so much so that it belies the artist's seem inexperience.

On the flip is a Tin Man remix of 'Houses in Motion'. This track replaces the Willie Burns remix that featured on the original pressing and it offers something slightly different to the two previous cuts. Somewhat celestial, those same synths take on a gentler sound, floating high above percussion that glitters its way through eight minutes of acid-spiked bliss. If this release is anything to go by, there's definitely more to come from both Palms Trax and Lobster Theremin in the future - we'll be keeping an eye out for sure.

Late Jam / Equation - Palms Trax [Lobster Theremin]

In the meantime, go grab the repress of 'Equation' at Redeye.

Featuring SUNKLO

The Sunklo series, a project designed to showcase exclusively the production talents of Boddika and Joy Orbison, had a quiet 2013. The imprint sprung to life in 2012 with a series of powerful dancefloor weapons, released strictly on vinyl and selling out everywhere double-quick time. Tracks such as 'Mercy' and 'Dun Dun' were played ad infinitum in clubs around the globw, with the former being given a slick remix treatment by Boddika himself, and re-released on Bleek's own Nonplus.

The absence of a single release last year seems strange, but not completely surprising when considering that the pair played an incredibly packed DJ schedule, with Boddika also reinvigorating the Nonplus concept with the impressive compilation album, 'Think and Change'.

The return to Sunklo offers us two tracks, the first entitled 'More Maim'. The opener seems to lack the arresting originality that was found in tracks on the previous releases. However, it seems that the two tracks on Sunklofaw are slightly subtler affairs than their predecessors. Nevertheless, they're as booming as you'd expect, with the kick drum of 'More Maim' reverberating ceaselessly throughout proceedings. The production is still powerful and suited to those dark warehouse spaces, it's more that the means through which this sound is crafted is more restrained. Save for a strange, out of sync melody that rears its head around halfway through the track, gone are the catchy riffs to be found in previous Sunklo tracks - all that operates here is loud, stomping music that makes up in oomph for what it lacks elsewhere.

photo credit: Paul Clement

The flipside, 'In Here' delivers more of the same. Brooding, eyes-down vibes come to the fore with a staccato, eerie vocal snippet mingling with a metallic drum palette that focuses on a padded, quivering kick. I feel like the release is operating as a blueprint for the direction Boddika and Joy O are looking to push things in, a gentle relinquishment of ties to the current Swamp81 sound. The omission of 'Tricky's Team' from Sunklofaw is notable, but perhaps fitting with this excursion away from a four-to-the-floor template.

Either way, I reckon there's plenty more like 'More Maim' to come in the upcoming year, both from Sunklo and from Nonplus. Boddika announced recently the roster he was hoping to assemble for the latest Nonplus project, including the likes of Daniel Avery and drum and bass veterans Source Direct.

Sunklofaw might lack the recognisability of previous iterations, but a move towards more DJ tool material would be a welcome and interesting development for the label.

More Maim / In Here - Boddika & Joy Orbison [Sunklofaw]


[SUNKLOFAW] is available soon via Juno.

Featuring LEON VYNEHALL

Leon Vynehall nods to his past and looks to the future with his debut LP on 3024, 'Music For The Uninvited'. Vynehall has ridden a wave of vinyl resurgence and musical nostalgia, so it's only fitting that, having recorded these tracks to cassette, he notes his journey to school in his mum’s car as the main inspiration for the record.

"I grew up with tapes. I was introduced to recorded music through that medium, listening to mixed hip hop, funk and electro tapes, Janet Jackson albums, Style Council and Stiff Little Fingers. It was quite varied."

Variation is what Leon specialises in, whether he's working solo or on darker collaborations with A1 Baseline as Laszlo Dancehall. These previous efforts have for the most part been club-orientated, but this extended piece of work sees Leon striving to move in another direction. The opening track, 'Inside the Deku Tree' acts as a prologue to the collection and features a bassless, string ensemble. The strings and background static from the cassette intertwine throughout the record and act as intervals for the different acts.



'Goodthing', a more typical Vynehall track, follows a similar structure to the likes of 'Brother' and 'Mauve', with harsh cymbals and a sharp vocal sample. Although elements from previous tracks return throughout the record, no two tracks are the same. It's almost as if each song is a different thought, idea or memory.

The reflective and more relaxed track 'Be Brave, Clench Fists', and in the second half, 'Christ Air' and 'St. Sinclair', all build on Leon's ability to create abundant warmth in his soundscape,s taking a step out of the club to experiment with more atmospheric production. Even so, our highlight of the record comes on the C-side, where 'It's Just (House Of Dupree)' really cements Leon as a solid house producer. All in all, a fantastic and innovative collection of music and a great addition to Vynehall's unblemished discography.

[3024-024] will land as a double 12" on 17th March 2014 via Juno.

Words by: Stephen Daniels

10 YEARS OF PHONICA

Always our first port of call whenever we're splashing the cash in Soho, Phonica Records can proudly celebrate its tenth birthday this weekend. Ten years in which it has served up the finest house and techno (and plenty of other stuff) to Londoners and beyond.

To mark the occasion, there's a sterling 3 x LP compilation of original tracks from the likes of Juju & Jordash, Legowelt and ICube, with even more being offered up in the digital format. And, as would be fitting, there's a serious party going down tonight at Fire.

To do our own little bit of reminiscing, we've thrown together a YouTube playlist of some of the favourite tunes we've bought from these guys over the years. Enjoy!



Saturday 15th February - Krankbrother presents 10 Years of Phonica

Henrik Schwarz [live]
Midland
Kassem Mosse [live]
Psychemagik
Appleblim
Krankbrother
Phonica DJs
Jack C

Tickets still available here.

Introducing STENNY

Formed by the Zenker Brothers and Mueller in 2007, Ilian Tape is a German-based label that brings a variety of club-focused techno from artists based around the globe. The latest 12" is no exception, providing four cuts of heaviness from Turin local Stenny and constituting his second release for the imprint.

The first track doesn't look to warm up proceedings gently, jumping right into the deep end with an after-hours bomb - crushed breakbeats and a heavily saturated, pounding kick resonate among the sort of breathless and airy chords Ilian have become know for over the years. It's a great way of working dark and light shades together into one track, with the results being an oddly pleasing mixture of spacey, gliding musicality with earthy and claustrophobic grittiness.

Moving on to 'Boulders' and the formula stays very much the same. Those breakbeats remain prevalent, again they've been thoroughly smashed to pieces and glued back together with some semblance of a melody that just about holds things together. This second track is a far more frenetic and urgent affair than the opener, desperate to get deep and driving straight off the bat.

Flipside - first you'll find the peculiarly named 'Local Fields'. An apt title perhaps, as Stenny grants his drums slightly more room, letting them breathe alongside the accompanying elements. Heavily-filtered, luscious chords pan out around the entire track with the whole affair feeling a little more roomy and patient than the first two pieces.

Finishing off is a Zenker Brothers remix of the title track. The two siblings hereby make no attempt to wash out the dirt and grime of Stenny's original. That isn't to say that the finished result lacks punch, rather that it feels less cluttered and frantic than the opener. Instead, the pair apply their own methodology, streamlining the entire track and removing all but the most essential components in order to craft a subtle, grooving jam that could stomp its way effortlessly through any club you dared chuck it at.

Eternal Restriction - Stenny [Ilian Tape]

[IT022] is available now from Juno.

Featuring PENDER STREET STEPPERS

Since 2012, Mood Hut has been operating as a small independent label out of Vancouver, Canada, specialising in off-kilter, deep dance music. This release sees the Pender Street Steppers drop some seriously decent atmospheric and ambient house in the form of a three track EP.

While the bubble samples in the first track 'Bubble World' could be considered trite, the song provides an overall unpretentious vibe as it meanders along its own path. 'Love Theme' follows with its drum rolls and sharp synthy stabs, giving way to some sultry saxophone work at the end. The last track 'Temple Walk' provides an ethereal ending track that would provide great stuff for the afterhours heads.

Mood Hut should be a good label to keep an eye on in 2014. While not peak-time dance material, the label explores the more left-leaning and cerebral sides of house music.

Bubble World EP - Pender Street Steppers [Mood Hut]


Pick up the Pender Street Steppers EP from Juno when its released on February 14th.

Words by: Ethan Becker

Featuring UNTOLD

I must admit that this album came to me pretty much out of the blue. I wasn't aware that Jack Dunning (aka Untold) was even working on an LP, let alone ready to release it on his own label, Hemlock Recordings. Hemlock has made a name for itself by providing some of the strangest, most forward-thinking electronic music - primarily from the UK but occasionally from elsewhere around the globe. The label began in 2008 and has since developed the careers of some, by-now, household names, including James Blake, Pangaea and of course Dunning himself.

So we come to the work of Untold and the aforementioned album. Despite coming as something of a surprise, I read the PR for this one and got pretty excited. Over the years, Untold has dipped his toes into various waters, journeying his way through a curious and idiosyncratic take on dubstep, brooding techno (a theme explored further in another sub-label, Pennyroyal) and just down-right weird house. But the theme for this LP, entitled 'Black Light Spiral', was to be something new entirely, channelling Dunning's upbringing on "jungle and hardcore, without being token rave revivalism."



Okay, I thought to myself - all sounds well and good. I can't be alone in noticing the penchant for a certain group of producers to give a nod towards jungle in their music in recent years; a group spearheaded perhaps by Paul Woolford (under his Special Request guise) but including the likes of Tessela and Randomer, the latter having released extensively on Untold's very own Hemlock imprint. However, my gripe with this kind of reenactment is that often it feels forced and nostalgic merely for the sake of it. I was confident that given this framework, Dunning had the guile and craft to create something entirely fresh and new, without utilising the aforementioned sound in too much of a gimmicky a way. Again, the press release for the LP backed this up, telling me how Untold intends 'to push boundaries, to leave people gasping for air and wondering "what the fuck is this music I've just heard?"' I have to stress that this last point is the most prevalent thought that comes to mind upon first listen. I listened to the 40-minute piece from start to finish then in all honesty did my best to put it to the back of my mind. Though I was fully aware of Dunning's ability to defy genre, I genuinely wasn't ready for the onslaught that 'Black Light Spiral' provided. Even in my worst nightmares I'd struggle to conjure sounds so obscure, so frighteningly weird. The sound-design throughout is admittedly impressive, and reminiscent of the kind of clinical production skills provided by somebody like Objekt. Because of this aspect, I'm confident some publications will receive the record with critical acclaim. However, as impressive as these soundscapes are, overall I'm just left wondering - what's the point?

Black Light Spiral LP - Untold [Hemlock]

Make no mistake, the record features all of those typical tokens of raves-past - airhorns, sirens, reggae samples. But beyond this, there is nothing that hints towards Dunning's jungle and hardcore influences. The whole thing feels so lacking in cohesion or direction that in the end it's just a 40-minute collection of random experiments in sound and noise. Yes, they sound pretty cool in and of themselves. But do they work as an album? I'm really not so sure. I was going to give a run-through of the record track-by-track but realised rather quickly that this would be a fruitless endeavour. I'd recommend you pick it up and listen through yourself as it demonstrates, viscerally in places, Untold's ability to skew traditional appreciations of convention. Aside from that though, it offers not a lot. Perhaps I was a tad naive when expecting at least a couple of real gems, tracks like 'Change in a Dynamic Environment' but welded around the structure of Blue Note jungle. Unfortunately, there's none of that here. What's laid out is an 8-track document that charters the strange workings of Dunning's mind as he builds upon the reputation he's built for himself as a man who defiantly strikes-out against the norm. In 'Black Light Spiral', Untold burrows ever deeper down the rabbit hole, exploring avenues yet to be touched. Is the result wholly successful? I'm not convinced it is, but it makes for an interesting experience nonetheless.

The album is released on 24th Feb - grab it at Juno.

Featuring LEN FAKI & MARKUS SUCKUT

Berghain mainstay Len Faki makes a production return on his own Figure Records, this time offering tracks produced alongside HH favourite Markus Suckut. Suckut has been steadily building his reputation for the past couple of years - a reputation that had its foundations laid on the aforementioned label back in 2011. Since then, he's gone from strength to strength whilst operating both as Markus Suckut and #.19.21.3.11.21.20, sticking to a straightforward formula that relies upon pounding, no-nonsense techno music that's expertly produced whilst remaining adequately rough around the edges.

'Skulls EP' sees Suckut and Faki combine to produce four articulate, swinging tracks that are as heavy as they come. What's striking about the release generally is the way both Faki and Suckut's styles compliment so favourably. The former is renowned for a squeaky-clean sound design - something which is disrupted on 'Skulls', but only to a degree.



The first track, 'Skulls 1' is perhaps the sort of effort that you'd expect from Faki. Here, the drums are worked expertly and methodically around the kind of twisted bleeps, creaks and claps that often characterise Faki's sound. Yet on 'Skulls 2', you can sense the creeping influence of Suckut. There still exists in this second offering the swing and movement found in 'Skulls 1', however the overall feel is grittier and even more pounding. This much is most clearly evident in the included dub version, which to my mind is far more basement than it is Berghain.

Skulls 1 - Skulls EP / Len Faki & Markus Suckut [Figure Germany]

What I like most about this collaboration is how Suckut has taken the gleaming, crystal-clear big-room sound of Faki (evident in 'Skulls" 1 and 2) and refined it, honing it down to its core components before sprinkling it with a healthy amount of dirt, distorting the typical flavours you may have come to expect and giving the release a far more underground feel. In 'Skulls 3', we have the best that the EP has to offer. In a way it's strange that Suckut is able to produce these tracks that are so heavily club-orientated, as he admitted himself (under a different guise) in a Hush House interview last year that he's not one for going out and partying. Addtionally, he demonstrated his deftness as a DJ with an exclusive mix - you can check that out here. But moving back to this current release, I'm loathe to utilise the 'Berghain techno' cliche so I'll just go ahead and get it out of the way, but if ever a cliche existed to describe a particular sound, this surely has to be it. Flitting, indecipherable vocals ghost their way through mayday alarm bleeps whilst a lead-weighted kick drum pounds its way throughout.

I must stress here that the sort of big-room killers I'm describing aren't so much of a bad thing, as when executed well their power is unquestionable. Often I have a hesitancy with producers who attempt to adapt their production style to larger crowds, as this somewhat ironically has the tendency to dilute the exact facets of their music that they're attempting to amplify. In the four tracks of 'Skulls', both Faki and Suckut deliver the clearest demonstration in how to straddle this line effectively - creating deadly, dancefloor-honed bombs, edged in Faki's characteristic steel and scattered with Suckut's gravelled sound.

'Skulls' is available at Juno right now.

Featuring LEGOWELT

Prolific synth magician Legowelt continues his relentless release schedule with three tracks of intergalactic goodness for new label Riverette. Straight from his sequencer-sampler workstation of choice - the Akai MPC60 – Danny Wolfers inaugurates the similarly mysterious Spanish label with this new EP.

A-side ‘Blue Tearz’ compliments its shimmers and twinkles with an ominous bassline that wouldn’t be out of place on the Drive soundtrack. Taken together with the track’s plaintive vocal snippets, the well-crafted opener finds Wolfers in an interestingly melancholic mode. Side two’s first offering, ‘Shadow Wolf’, works with different materials to form a more club-ready track combining punchier drums and room-filling synth washes. ‘Source of Menace’, befittingly, is the most sinister of the three. Initially moving in a similar vein to standout tracks on his ‘Paranormal Soul’ LP (namely 'Danger in the Air' and 'Rave Till Dawn'), the track brings in rough and ready drums that sound more like his recent efforts for Ron Morelli’s L.I.E.S. imprint.

Overall, ‘Blue Tearz’ gives further reason to speculate whether Wolfers is from this galaxy or not. Or at any rate, all the more reason to anticipate his forthcoming LP on Crème Organization.

[RVRT001] is due out very soon via Juno.

Words by: Isaac Rangaswami

Featuring MIDLAND

If you were to ask me what I considered the most important record of 2013, it would be Midland's 'Trace'. If you were to ask me what song would be least likely to get a good remix, I would probably say the same thing. For the latter, I was gladly proved wrong. Almost a year after the original AUS Music is set to release the 'Trace Remixes EP', a timely reflection on how far the label has come in recent years.

Listening to these remixes, it's hard to imagine another way in which they could have been tackled. Using just the basic skeleton of 'Trace', Grain (aka Artwork) - known back in the day for his tribal techno - takes the most intricate elements that formed the original and proceeds to chop and twist them around a faster, yet subtle beat. The track follows a similar structure to the original, however this time Grain wishes only to tease the vocals. A departure from Midland's distinctive production, Grain chooses to have the instrumentation blend in and out from start to finish. The pay-off being a new build up of sliced synths resonating around a warehouse atmosphere.

De-constructing the original, Leon Vynehall's take on the B-side 'For (Yacht) Club Use Only' follows on from the rough and ready style seen on his previous AUS release. The rigid hi-hats from Midland's original have been shuffled around to create a loose and moody sound-scape and the warm synths have been manipulated to create a slight unease before melting back into the beat.

[AUS1456] will be released on 10th February 2014 via Juno.

Words by: Stephen Daniels