1?
(Blanco Y Negro NEG80T 4509-99910-0)
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Well, as Ozy said in an earlier post: science fiction = techno. I couldn't
agree more. Carl Craig only enhances his reputation as a master of
electronic dance music with this (major label?) release, once again
showing off his incredible diversity (the genre-crossing of
Pritchard/Middleton is a good reference) and crystalline production skills.
Here the theme is futuristic Detroit techno - updating and extending the
sound. A tough task, but he pulls it off effortlessly. Complex yet
uncluttered rhythm programming with large helpings of funkiness
(electro-tinged, but *so* much fuller) work beneath a moody three-note
melody that simply bleeds warmth. Four mixes: Paperclip, Psyche
(both similarly excellent), Kenny Larkin's take on things (actually my
least favorite - doesn't shine like the others), and a three-minute Bonus
Beats kinda thing. The staggering richness of this record cannot truly
be conveyed in words. Buy on sight.
Oh yeah, this is intelligent DANCE music. Fill the floor, kid. :)
Plaid
(Clear CLR 409)
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Ed and Andy (the renegades :) ) doin' their own thing on Clair's label.
Best record on Clear yet. Heck, best record I've bought in a while -
the kind where *all* the tracks are fucking brilliant, not just one.
When Black Doggists are involved you should know the drill -
groovalicious skeletal rhythms + lilting melodies = yummy music
(these reviews seem to be taking on an "equations" theme). Yes,
more genre-crossing! Four tracks - electro, jungle, and...other stuff.
The thing I love about these guys (and BDP in general) is their ability
to reference so many different types of music while retaining their
own feel. Makes an interesting comparison to _Science Fiction_ too.
Both are great records, but Carl's complexity seems deceptively
simple whereas Ed and Andy's is blatantly mind-boggling. Go figure.
Bochum Welt - Scharlach Eingang
(Rephlex CAT 030/P)
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If the soundtrack for the next Mad Max movie was composed by
Afrika Bambatta, this is what it would sound like. Fast electro 808
hits, laser blasts, a kinetic acid line, and haunting strings make up
the first track: "CH Riot On Proxima Centauri". Chris Jeffs gets to
work on track two - a melodic, beatless synth composition that
makes me feel like I'm drifting through space whithout my mommy.
The flip side starts off all scary again, and the first track, "Phobos",
sounds like a reworking of "CH Riot...", complete with hollowed-out,
rapid-fire percussion. Finally, "Omicron" makes things all better with
dreamy chords floating above slightly more laidback rhythms. Then
the doomsday acid line comes in, and I'm distraught once again. All
four tracks play at 45, and they don't last very long. This record was
produced in Milan by an Italian named Gianluigi Di Costanzo. He
should remix Robert Armani's "Circus Bells" and call it "Circus Hell"
or something. Damn scary music. Get back to me when I stop shaking
uncontrollably. :)
Scan 7 - Undetectible EP
(Underground Resistance UR-031)
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A three-track EP from UR's Trackmaster Lou, but the first cut, "Password
Soul", is really the only one worth mentioning. Living up to its title, we're
treated to a marathon jazz-techno session complete with twangy bassline
and big, beautiful brass hits. This is what UR are best at, and the two cuts
of repetitive noise-techno on the B-side are therefore quite a letdown.
4 Hero - Universal Love
(Selector 12 SEL 4)
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Anthemic jungle from the 4 Hero crew. The L Double and Nookie mixes on
the B-side just aren't my cup of tea, but Metalheads and 4 Hero deliver with
two gems on the A-side. Goldie uses delightful strings and low-key
rhythms, while 4 Hero takes the emotion level even higher and throws in a
brilliant saxophone solo. Carol Crosby's vocals on both mixes are the
perfect remedy for the blues, and remind us that summer is on its way.
The Memory Foundation
(M-plant M-p303)
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I'm going on the assumption that this is a Rob Hood production, although
it could just as well be some unknown Austrian with a well-developed
sense of the Berlin/Detroit sound. If it is Hood, then this record definitely
represents a departure from the clinical sparseness of most of his tracks
to date. The first cut on the record is downright soulful, with warm synth
pulses and some really nice Rhodes piano work. The next two are both
less busy, but maintain that big, deep techno sound. Imagine Maurizio
with cleaner production and some new noises, and you'll get the picture.
Erik Van Den Broek - Subsonic Soundscape
(Shiver SHOV3)
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Erik Van Den Broek delivers five slices of cool, spacey techno on the
third Shiver release. From breezy electro to harder acid-trancey stuff,
that Dutch quality shines through. Plus there's the added bonus of
Shiver's slammin' custom-designed graffiti labels. Tasty.
Vulva - From The Cockpit
(Rephlex CAT 021 LP)
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Whenever I listen to this LP I always get a good sense of where the
Vulva boys were coming from when they titled this album. I'm on a
spaceship - the Millenium Falcon let's say - and each of the eleven
tracks is a taste of what I see, from the cockpit, as I make my way
through the galaxy. All bases are covered, from really pretty ambience
to mellow Detroit grooves, and everything is coated with the
unmistakable sheen of space travel. An accomplished release that
never fails to enthrall.
ObAcidHouse: I bought a six-track acid sampler on Axodya records
out of Swizerland with a Synectics track on it called "Acid Pounder".
Having not heard their stuff on Rephlex, I was more than pleasantly
surprised to hear a tough, mid-tempo acid workout that would do
Woody McBride proud. I hope their Rephlex LP is more of the
same... :) (fat chance, I know).
- Matthew
- Scharlach Eingang
(Rephlex CAT 030/P)
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If the soundtrack ?
? ;
or something. Damn scary music. Get back to me when I stop shaking