The return of recoreviews...
. Trace Elements 4 comp 12" (21/22 Corp)
The Ohio 21/22 Corp label returns with the 4th install-
ment of their excellent Trace Elements compilation series.
This one features five tracks from Archetype, Valance,
Watertower, Midi Slut, and Placebo plus five lock=20
grooves by Paris Mack, Dave Cooper, Kelly Warner,=20
First Sequence, and Not Chad. The ep's highlights
are Archetype's deep techno builder "depth que,"
Watertower's squelchy experimental electro piece=20
"the void track," and Midi Slut's millsy techno pounder
"Swivel." The five locks are, as always, fun ranging
in styles from hard techno to hard house to electro.
Overall another quality EP of Detroit inspired techno
and electro from the 21/22 Corp label. For those of=20
you who are vinyl-impaired, 21/22 Corp will be releasing
a Trace Elements comp cd early next year that will feature
yet more of the best techno & electro that the midwest
has to offer. 7/10
. Moodymann: Forevernevermore 1-sided 12" (KDJ)
Kenny Dixon Jr releases yet another 1-sided gritty
detroit funk-house gem on his own KDJ label. This
one, named "Forevernevermore," contains all the
signature KDJ sounds - funky basslines, sax,=20
conversations, bongos, turntable backspins &
several changes of tempo & style. But it seems no=20
matter how many times KDJ uses those elements,=20
he always seems to make it sound good. If you
like other KDJ releases then expect more of the
same here. 7/10
. Arovane: s/t 12" (Din)
After the stunning Raum ep by Pole earlier this year,
the Din label returns with another excellent ep by the=20
Berlin newcomer Arovane. This 4-track ep of melodic
downtempo electronica combines lush garbage-era=20
autechresque melodies & percussion with deep bc-
esque atmospheres producing some exceptionally
deep electronica. Imagine Various Artists or Pole=20
combined with Funkstroung or Autechre and you'll=20
have an idea what to expect here. Coming in November=20
we can expect a new Arovane ep called Icol Diston=20
and next year expect an Arovane cd and minidisc all=20
on Din. But in the meantime, this beauty of an ep will
quench your listening music appetite nicely. 8/10
. H.E.A.D.: 97-98 cd (Caipirihna)
Need a fix of tripped out loungy space jazz mixed with
a little squelchy electro, trip hop, disco, and acid? Well=20
this, the third H.E.A.D. album by producers Khan &=20
Kerosene, may be just what you're looking for. All of
the thirteen tracks seem to have different combinations
of the aforementioned styles. The end result is a mix
of highly entertaining tracks with a few less impressive
ones sprinkled throughout. It's hard to compare this to=20
anything i've heard before but releases like Kerosene's=20
Teenage Secret on Caipirinha, the Restaurant Tracks=20
records on Cheap or the Private Lighting Six albums=20
on Sabotage and Morbid come close. Another quality
domestic electronica title from Caipirinha. 7/10
. Andre Estermann: Simstim 12" (Inzec)
A new ep from the everbusy Andre Estermann on Marco
Repetto's new Inzec label out of Switzerland. This one
contain six tracks of lush downtempo Musik Aus Stromish=20
electronica in the same vein as his recent Aemic ep with
Micheal Fakesch or his earlier Estermann ep on Music
Aus Strom. All tracks on this ep are solid but my favorites
are the melodic Funkstroungish track "Simstimm" and the=20
epic electroish sounding track "Vector." Fans of Autechre,=20
Funkstroung, old Jega or any of Andre's previous releases
will definitely be into this one. But hurry, the Inzec label=20
records are limited to 300 copies each. So get one while=20
you can! 8/10
. Low Res: Approximate Love Boat Mistaken Alien=20
Interpretations of Earth Music cd (Plug Research/PR15-LR1)
Danny Zelonky aka Low Res & Crank has been releasing
outstanding eps and making compilation appearances=20
for almost five years on distinguished labels like Sublime,=20
Sony, Plug Research and Metroplex. Now Low Res=20
finally releases his first album. Over the fourteen tracks=20
on this cd, Danny crafts a tapestry of deep hauntingly=20
warped melodies, subtle dissonant sound effects, moody=20
lo-fi bass and occasional crunchy downtempo jazzy=20
percussion giving this release a =93coil meets autechre and=20
phthalocyanine in a haunted old movie theatre=94 sound.=20
A beautifully unsettling cd. 8/10
. Morison/Wenzel: Flora & Fauna LP (Application Specific)
The first release on the Denver, Colorado label is a nine=20
track ep by Gerald Wenzel and Kennith Morison. The
styles of the tracks on this one range from Mego-like=20
experimental pieces to some Electric Company d&b-ish
stuff to a few melodic skam-like electronica tracks. Fans
of more experimental electronic acts like Pita, Fennez,=20
Electric Company or even Autechre should appreciate
this release. I'm very eager for more from this label
because of this exceptional first release. 9/10. For more=20
info on Application Specific check:
http://ra.nilenet.com/~apspec/
. idmcdrcomp[cd.1] limited cdr (sfwd productions)
This sickly limited cdr comp is the brainchild of idm
listmember Chris Gosselin. He solicited tracks from
fellow idm listmembers to make this comp. Artists
on this one include: Thug (Tim Koch), Novel 23
(Roman Belousov), Jack Russell (Nate Harrison),=20
Pacman (Noah Sasso), Code C (Rob Galbraith),=20
Veer Nales (Andrew Nosnitsky), Boffin (Rusty
Householter), Colongib (Chris Graves) and Game
Program (Alex Quintana). As the title suggests
the style of this release is idm. The tracks on
this one range styles reminescent of Freeform,
Wagon Christ, =B5-ziq, Autechre, Aphex Twin,
Plastikman and Orbital. My favorites tracks on=20
this comp are the ones by Thug, Veer Nales and=20
Game Program but all are good. A great compilation=20
showcasing the talents of a some idm listmembers.=20
I guarantee you'll be hearing more about many of=20
these artists in the near future. It's a shame that
more of these comps weren't made available. 8/10.
For more info on Sfwd Productions releases check:
http://www.sonic.net/%7Ebrap/sfwd/index2.html
. Jake Mandell: Midwest ep cd (Lucky Kitchen)
After their highly-acclaimed and criminally limited=20
suetsu & underwood release, Lucky Kitchen return=20
with this ep of Wisconsin-styled idm/d&b. Seven
tracks on this one including a remix by Phoenecia.
The first three tracks are in the melodic schematic/
skam style and the final four tracks are in the Feed=20
Me Weird Things-era Squarepusher style but all
tracks have a flavor all their own. Fans of melodic
idm and d&b will love this release. Jake also has
a tracks on the new Lucky Kitchen Blip Bleep comp
cd as well as the new Worm Interface comp cd. So
Jake (and Lucky Kitchen for that matter) are really
starting to gain recognition for their work. Catch
them while you still can. 8/10. For more Lucky=20
Kitchen info check their website at:
http://www.luckykitchen.com=20
. Cex: cells cd (Underscore)
Cells, the first release on the new Baltimore, Maryland-
based Underscore label. Cex is the project of Underscore=20
label head, Rick Kidwell. Raised on aphex twin, em:t, and
the idm-list, Cex creates thirteen tracks of pretty original
idm that sounds like a combination of the source, compost,=20
schematic, and irdial label sounds. I know that's a pretty
general statement but the style on this album is difficult
to put a label on. Maybe mix a little Vulva, Elfish Echo,
Peter Ford, Beanfield, Jeswa and Mariopaint and you'll=20
have an idea of the sounds here. Cells one of the better=20
idm albums to come out this year and that if you get a=20
chance to hear this album i encourage you to do so.
Underscore is a label to watch. 9/10
. Pacman | Colongib split cd (Kracfive)
This release is a 14-track collaboration remix project
between Pacman and Colongib. The both the Pacman
and Colongib tracks have a dark distorted crunchy=20
early aphex twin-type percussion backed with lighter=20
nintendo-esque melodies giving the whole listening
experience a very nostalgic feeling. The whole album=20
has a unique Mariopaint meets Caustic Window sound.
If the Irdial label were still doing more idm-oriented=20
releases, this is what i imagine their sound would be=20
like. Also Colongib has a new album due out any day=20
now called Upgrade to Version 2 so more good Kracfive=20
stuff coming soon. 7/10 For more Kracfive info & real
audio samples check their website at:=20
http://kracfive.apex-it.com/
. Crank: Wanton Phenomena cd (Phthalo 04)
Another new album from Danny Zelonky aka Low Res,=20
this time on Phthalocyanine=92s Phthalo label. This one has=20
more of an organic & percussive sound to it than this=20
recent Approximate Love Boat cd on Plug Research but=20
don't let that frighten you at all. Wanton Phenomena=20
contains twelve tracks of quality IDM that fits in nicely=20
with recent releases from Solvent, Bola, Bannlust, Epy,=20
and Lustmord vs Metalbeast. Expect haunting melodies=20
over crunchy, often polyrhythmic percussion with just a=20
touch of experimentalism. Another great release from=20
Danny Z and the Phthalo limited cdr release series. Get it=20
if you still can. 9/10
BTW: Don't forget our Inaudible netcast every Wednesday
from 9-11 pm Eastern Standard Time. Hear John C (Bent Crayon)=20
and I spin two hours of the music we speak so highly of...
The show will be accessible by visiting
http://www.wcsb.org
every Wednesday from 9-11 pm EST. The show will be broad-
cast in the AudioActive format (which is actually much
better than RealAudio). You can download the Audio Active
plugin for free at
http://www.audioactive.com/player/
-->-Lance---
p.o. box 450715
westlake, ohio 44145
united states