Reviews
aIkuo – The Dream of the FishermanR...
Unless you’re in the habit of servicing the most po-faced of floors, you’re likely to find much to love about this warped technoid excursion from Japanese artist Ikuo. The title track’s infectious chunky-yet-sinuous groove is effective enough on its own, but the addition of some squawking, almost post-punky, brass to proceedings elevates a handy tool [...]
Luciano Esse – Green EP (Out-er)
Luciano Esse’s bio lists playing at Fabric as his proudest achievement, and appropriately there’s a muscular, big-room techno sound to this three-track EP. ‘The Foul’ kicks things off in satisfyingly unhurried fashion, layers of percussion and subtle pads gradually being sketched in as the track uncoils over seven minutes: not primetime gear but with potential [...]
Darko Esser – The Slightly Disturbed E...
Potent, stripped-down techno from Dutchman Darko Esser’s debut release on his own Balans. The original ‘Slightly Distubed’ pounds efficiently along its eight-minute path, twinkling noises set against a no-nonsense, slightly off-kilter backdrop reminiscent of an updated X-102. On the flip, Peter van Hoesen’s ‘Stretched and Pitched’ mix eases back the tempo for a deeper, more [...]
D’Marc Cantu – Fallen (Crème Organi...
D’Marc Cantu follows up on some choice releases on MOS and Crème with his first long-format release for Crème Organization – and those familiar with the Chicago producer’s previous output, be it solo ventures or in collaboration with fellow jack-fetishist James T. Cotton, probably won’t be served too many musical curveballs here. Eleven tracks wide, [...]
Alexander Robotnick – Robotnick’...
The third cache from beloved electronic elder statesman Robotnick’s private collection drops – and it’s a mixed bag for sure, with tracks from both ends of his lengthy career.
Benjamin Damage & Doc Daneeka – Th...
Swansea natives Benjamin Damage and Doc Daneeka have trodden very different paths over the past couple of years en route to this nine-track collaboration.
Dave Monolith – Welcome
In any list of the most abused dance music genres, electro must rank highly. Yet the good stuff’s been cropping up again recently, in obvious places (Clone’s lovingly presented Drexciya retrospective) and unexpected ones (some of the interesting parts of Joker’s overcooked debut album) – and there’s a goodish bit more of it on tucked away on Welcome, Dave Monolith’s much salivated-over first longplayer for Rephlex.
COM TRUISE – GALACTIC MELT
From first setting eyes on Com Truise’s ‘Galactic Melt’ you’re aware that it’s an album likely to cause a bit of intellectual hand-wringing for the likes anyone keeping up with Simon Reynold’s recent musings on the nature of Retromania. From the word go, the cover design and typography- striking, simple and rich- evokes if not [...]