Andi Toma - Damn Luei Lit [Infinite Greyscale 013]

After a longer period of silence and their latest release put out back in 2017 we see the Berlin-based art label Infinite Greyscale making a comeback in 2019 with its cat.no. 013, the first ever solo release by Mouse On Mars' Andi Toma under his real name. Co-produced by Thomas Knoefel and released on a limited to 300 copies white, one-sided 10" vinyl with a beautiful silk-screen print on the flip we see Andi Toma explore deep, electro-organic territories with his tune "Damn Luei Lit". Obviously incorporating elements of Tribal / Future Tribal-informed polyrhythms alongside scattered echoes of horns and other real life instruments paired up with detailed electronic textures and various layers of intensity this one is as musically unique as somehow familiar vibewise, especially for those who've been following artists like DJ Marcelle / Another Nice Mess recently or have been schooled by Harald "Sack" Ziegler & Frank "Schültge" Blumm in the late 90s as well as - who guessed ? - Mouse On Mars in the groups early years. Sweet stuff and we'd wish to see more labels giving artists a platform to fully experiment and explore musical structures and ideas beyond any given norm, genre or definition these days.

ViVii - ViVii [Dumont Dumont / Rough Trade Promo]

Scheduled for release via Dumont Dumont / Rough Trade on March 15th, 2k19 is the self-titled debut album by Swedish duo Emil and Caroline Jonsson, better known under the artistic guise that is ViVii. Providing a selection of eleven tracks on their firstling, including the subtle little earworm "Love Love Love" we've already featured on these pages a few weeks ago, the couple explores sonic realms of epic, yet slightly blurred and reverberating DreamPop with a romantic, sweet and well uplifting note on the opener "Pick Me Up" whereas the songs like "End Of Joy" bring on a beautiful fusion of innocent Folk and an ethereal Singer/Songwriter-attitude which is also to be found in the levitating, introspective melancholia of "Wanna Fly" which later on manages to surprise listeners with quite a funky bassline motif. With songs like "And Tragic" ViVii even provides romantic slow jams for dancefloors in love, "Suckerpunch" comes across as the next potential single and a candidate for a DreamPop summer hit with its slightly Dub-infused bass drive and "Savant" provides a beautiful organic, all embracing warmth like a lazy summer evening just to pick a few favorites from the well recommended firstling.

Promo artwork on Instagram!

Chasms - The Mirage [Felte 057]

Released on February 22nd, 2k19 via the Felte-label is "The Mirage", the sophomore album outing of Chasms, a musical collaboration of Jess Labrador and Shannon Madden. Following a tumultous and sad period in the lives of the duo we see them coming to terms with happenings of the past over the course of seven brand new tracks plus the original version and a rework of their most recent single "Divine Illusion" featured on this longplayer. Opening with the 7 minutes spanning cut "Shadow" we see Chasms paving the way for things to come, a journey into deep, slightly balearic and heavily Dub-infused Leftfield Pop built on a foundation of mostly ethereal, echo-heavy voices, stripped down rhythm signatures and raw, warm, organic bass works appealing to Indie- and DreamPop-lovers as well as to Shoegaze-fans, Massive Attack-headz and those who've been digging Paul Oakenfold's many a 'Perfecto' remixes of classic Pop cuts released throughout the first half of the 90s as well as to followers of more contemporary band outfits like Peaking Lights. This said, it should be pretty clear where the main target audience of Chasms might be at, yet we presume that even die-hard followers of the mentioned genres might not be necessarily impressed as, considering the full runtime of 50 minutes, there's not much variation delivered and, despite changing tempo ranges, it feels like the first three or four tracks fully define what the band has to offer musically and what follows represents only miniscule variations of what seems to be a pretty much formulaic approach to songwriting and aesthetics with the shoegazing, distorted guitar riffs in the intro of the title track seemingly being the only element that sticking out for a reason. Maybe a four track EP would've been enough?

Album artwork on Instagram!

Maulgruppe - Tiere In Tschernobyl [Major Label]

Lined up for release on Jena's most active Major Label-imprint is "Tiere In Tschernobyl", the debut album by the newest Jens Rachut-led band outfit Maulgruppe. This time the legendary musician of Nuclear Raped Fuck Bomb-, Kommando Sonne-nmilch-, Oma Hans- and a gazillion more bands fame teams up with members and contributors of outfits like Yass, Ten Volt-Shock and Kurt to create a menu of eleven songs which seems to be the most dense, most desolate and angsty of Rachut's releases in years. Referencing the ultimate greyscale scepticism of Punk and PostPunk throughout the cold war-era whilst painting a black-and-white picture of postapocalytic madness, shaped by piercing, in-your-face mid-range guitar riffing, highly intense atmospheres and ethereal, slightly off-kilter synth motifs in songs like "Geschwür" or "Fäden Ziehen" we experience Maulgruppe bringing forth a huge amount of untamend, high-octane energy whereas "Jäger" is a variation of Jens Rachut's unprecedented, trademark Spoken Word-poetry which, in its most direct and unfiltered form, only could evolve in a city like Hamburg for a reason. The albums title track is a blueprint for Apocalyptic Nuclear Punk with a few electronic undertones whereas the following smash hit "Selbstmitleid Trinken" pays homage to the frontman's former N.R.F.B. project and the epicly titled "Geh Zum Arzt Du Affe" deals with the physical toll of highly independent Punk life just to pick a few songs off this recommended, yet highly dystopian longplayer. Check. 

Øyvind Torvund - The Exotica Album [Hubro Music]

Set for release via the Norwegian Hubro Music-label on March 8th, 2k19 is "The Exotica Album", the latest album project thought up by composer Øyvind Torvund who's taking a shot at reviving the Exotica- / Easy Listening-genre for 2019 whilst crossing over into the field of what he refers to as 'early electronic modernism' in the promo sheet coming with the album's pre-release copy. This attempt, finalized with the help of 19 - !!! -additional artists and musicians, comes down to a result of ten tracks spread over a total runtime 34 minutes, amalgamating the re-imagined sound of a naturalistic environment with a feel of undisturbed, yet well psychedelic joy and calmness, bringing forth genre-typical rhythm signatures and highly emotional string arrangements in conjunction with sweet, vintage electronics bleeps and trickles, yet doesn't fail to surprise with massive Noize eruptions in the otherwise tender, but slightly off-kilter "Waking Up Again" whereas the "Rainforest Morning" presents a cheeky, playful and positive attitude, "Jungle Alarm" brings forth dramatic pianos and arrangements whilst "Cave" even manages to incorporate FreeJazz elements into its Technicolor aesthetic, just to pick a few favorite cuts out of this unusual and well-interesting album.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Xotox - Silent Shout [Pro Noize / Dark Dimensions]

Sitting in our postbox only recently was the January, 2k19-released "Silent Shout", a new album outing coming in straight from the studios of the Paderborn-based Industrial- / EBM- / HardTechno-producer Andreas Davids a.k.a. Xotox who's been active on the circuit since the late 90s and took not only the electronic underground but also the so-called Alternative scene by storm with his distinct and hard hitting productions. Bringing forth five new original tracks, one rework and a pack of six remixes the album opens with its title track, a powerful, yet sparse trip into massive, hoover signal-emulating, klaxon'esque bass signals paired with intense lyrics and complex rhythm signatures for pitch black dancefloors, followed by the dark Rhythm Industrial-informed, psyched out Techno meets ProtoTrance-cut "Paleodisco" and the tense, spine-tingling, yet beautiful athmosphere of the post-apocalyptic "Still Closer Then". The subsequent confession "I Dream Only Beautiful Nightmares" brings forth Xotox's uptempo, somewhat Breakbeat- / Drum'n'Bass / DarkJungle-infused side without meeting any of the mentioned genres criteria but presenting a sense for dramatic arrangements and vintage synth basslines instead, "Nothing (Reworked Version)" deals with the artists brutal, hypercompressed and uncompromising trademark 4/4 sound whereas "Weltuntergang" pairs up slow, grinding, hypnotic beats with ever morphing background atmospheres building up towards a cataclysmic climax that never happens over the course of nearly 9 minutes. Furthermore "Paleodisco (Schwarzwald RMX)" delivers quite a melodic, 90s-reminiscing and well uplifting take on Rave vs. HardTechno, "I Dream Only Beautiful Nightmares (Defaults RMX)" weighs in a dark, bubbly, yet fear-inducing sci-fi vibe over the course of 132 seconds and "Still Closer (Autoclav 1.1 RMX)" caters to the needs of those loving their Industrial Phonk meets Illbient meets large scale panoramic arrangements to the max. Following up is "I Dream Only Beautiful Nightmares (Sci-Fi Industries RMX) which deals with slightly distorted, washed out and ethereal melodies atop a foundation of what could be described as deepest Future Trance in slow motion, "Still Closer (Loss RMX)" indulges in multi-layered, complex IDM / Electronica in the vein of beloved, mid-90s Future Sound Of London-productions and the final cut, "Weltuntergang (Nyppy Mix)", delivers a cold and deadly, subtle, yet bass heavy and vantablack closing for what maybe is the deepest, most complex Xotox longplayer ever released. Highly recommended, this.

Tim Linghaus - About B. (Memory Sketches B-Sides Recordings) [Sound In Silence 061]

Another one released via the Greek Sound In Silence-imprint on January 19th, 2k19 is "About B. (Memory Sketches B-Sides Recordings)", the second ever full album release by German, Cuxhaven-based artist and composer Tim Linghaus. Bringing forth thirteen new tracks plus four reworks of compositions from his 2018 longplay debut within a timespan of 25 minutes only there's no wonder that the 'sketches' description suits this release perfectly, with only two cuts stretched out over more than two minutes and many even remaining under 60 seconds long... or: short. Despite this slightly patchwork-y approach Tim Linghaus manages to deliver a coherent, oftentimes crackly and vintage-touched vision of short Ambient and ChillOut episodes, partly crossing over into (Neo)Classical or score'esque territories, touching base on inward looking piano miniatures or widescreen panoramas paired with classical string etudes and beautiful pads. With all the ideas and layouts featured on here Tim Linghaus could easily have made two, maybe three, full-length albums out of the material presented and we do hope that these sketches will be picked up by some sync-agency in the future as they'd make up excellent film music for arthouse flics and touching, highly emotional film noir screenings.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Ten Fe - Future Perfect, Present Tense [Some Kinda Love / PIAS Promo]

After already revealing the first glimpse on the forthcoming Ten Fe-album "Future Perfect, Present Tense" through posting the music video for its opener "Won't Happen" in November, 2k18 it's now about time to fully inspect the new, eleven songs spanning album piece which is scheduled for release on March 8th, 2k19 via Some Kinda Love / PIAS. Coming from a background of mutual busking and sharing band experiences before the formation of Ten Fe as a project the bands founding members Ben Moorhouse and Leo Duncan present, alongside their fellow musicians, a straight continuation of their 2017-released debut, aiming for a simple, relatable and obviously Americana-informed songwriting approach, swinging in between uplifting and melancholia moodwise and coming up with subtle, yet lovely earworms like "No Night Lasts Forever", classic 70s-infused bits like "Coasting", timeless, romantic Pop ballads like "Caught On The Inside" or the Piano-driven, tender "To Lie Here Is Enough" whereas tunes like "Here Again" provide more of an upbeat feel and "Not Tonight" even adds a seductive, 80s-infused synth bassline to the albums most uptempo song before the final cut "Superrich" comes forth with a slightly shuffled Rock beat for a closing. Defo a good one for Indie fans in love, this.

Pylone - A Jamais / Ping [Sound On Probation 019]

Scheduled for release via Sound On Probation on March 1st, 2k19 is the third musical outing by Laurent Perrier's Pylone project, a two track and 37 minutes spanning album rendering of electro-acoustic composition techniques on modular synthesizers. With the first track "A Jamais" fusing and amalgamating cutup vocal microsamples provided by multimedia artist Lyne Vermes we're taken into a well psychedelic, tripping sonic realm evoking memories of how early sci-fi flics were dealing with states of trance or hypnosis in their score compositions whereas the second, also 18+ minutes spanning tune "Ping" brings forth a lecture in minimalism, being created by triggering a single twinpeak filter which results in a multi-layered structure of warped, percussive, gamelan-resembling bleeps, computational feedbacks and ethereal, yet cold and scientific sweeps of a well calming, contemplative nature for those loving to search refuge in thrilling retrofuturistic soundscapes for a reason. 

Amp - Entangled Time [Sound In Silence 060]

Released via the Greek Ambient staple Sound In Silence on January 18th, 2k19 is ""Entangled Time", the second album outing created by the 1992 formed project Amp for the label. Founded by Richard F. Walker a.k.a. Richard Amp and operating as a duo consisting of its founder and London-based Karine Charff we see Amp catering a menu of five brand new tracks, opening with the 10+ minutes cut named "Drifting", a wonderful, elegic composition somewhat in between panoramic Ambient and echoes of score'esque (Neo)Classical string arrangements before slowly fading into the washed out sound of crashing waves at the very end of the tune followed by "Will-Oh Dreams" which combines drifting Ambient pad structures, brutal, partly reverberating background beats and dreamy, blurred vocals to create a fascinating lullaby for Industrial headz. Within the short "Playing Time" Amp is exploring timeless, ever pulsating and dubbed out dream states, "Opal Tears"brings forth a shoegazing take on beauteous, autumnal Post-PostRock and the concluding "Will-Oh Dreams (Extended Mix)" presents an alternative, yet not less drifting variation of the original cut, weighing in additional layers of low frequency PostRock chords and an extended playtime of 16+ minutes for all fans of Deep Listening Music. Great stuff. Check.

Laibach - The Coming Race (Official Video)

Taken from the forthcoming album - and film - "Iron Sky: The Coming Race" this new musical outing defo proves that Laibach have a thing going for Blues and highly dramatic Soul. Quite a surprise, this.

Labrecque / Barakat - Terminal Desert [Karlrecords 064 Promo]

Scheduled for release via Karlrecords on March 15th, 2k19 is "Terminal Desert", the new two track album collaboration created by Paul La Brecque and Ghazi Barakat. With both artists coming from a rather Rock-infused background looking for a new aesthetic in this conjunctional effort we see the opening tune "Jajouka Pipe Dream" fusing obvious oriental / middle eastern influences with a dreamy, slightly psychedelic and endlessly meandering take on contemporary Krautrock - if this is a thing - whereas the second cut, the also 17 minutes spanning "Planet R-101" starts on an amalgamation of a droning electric buzz accompanied by minimalistic DesertBlues guitars only to evolve into a beautifully floating piece of Post-PostRock meets (Neo)Cosmic meets Ambient over the course of its runtime, well able to fully please all those longing for soothing, ever evolving sounds as well as fans of Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze et al. for a reason before adding a slightly oriental touch after passing minute 10 or so. "Planet R-101" wins.

Rian Treanor - Ataxia [Planet Mu 405 Promo]

Scheduled for release on March 15th, 2k19 via the renowned and critically acclaimed Planet Mu-imprint is "Ataxia", the full length nine track debut album created by Rian Treanor who has released acclaimed singles on labels like The Death Of Rave and Arcola previously. Whilst the album title refers to 'the loss of full control of bodily movements' we defo see the musical outings on this longplayer, cheekily all named "Ataxia" and defined by their placement within the vinyl album version with Treanor's intention being '...to make people's bodies move in unpredictable ways', move bodies, opening with highly hypnotic and abstract polyrhythms paired with intense Spoken Word repetitions presented in "Ataxia_A1" whereas the follow up "Ataxia_A2" strips things down, bordering Phonk, Glitch, IDM and echoes of Breakcore before "Ataxia_B1" indulges in a cold, yet atmospheric scifi future with its deep melodic intro elements and expertly sculpted beats. With "Ataxia_B2" we see Rian Treanor exploring highly cut-up realms of FuturePop and experimental PostGarage for buzzing dancefloors, "Ataxia_C1" can be filed under the flag of thrilling FutureGrime abstractions and "Ataxia_C2" brings forth a sweet, seductive take on ElectroPhonk for advanced late night sets. Furthermore "Ataxia_D1" caters to the needs of all Breakbeat ravers with killer bleep melodies, advanced rhythms and distinct, highly ecstatic stab sequences, "Ataxia_D2" gets down in a bouncy, positive and slightly tribalistic fashion, once again delivering a massive dancefloor impact before the final cut "Ataxia_D3" provides a fascinating amalgamation of early 90s IDM Rave in a B12-reminiscent way and cut up, multilayered Future Soul-vocals for a massive closing. Highly recommended.

Intrauterin Recordings Feature @ Slackjackerz.com

The Swiss-based blog portal Slackjackerz.com has just released a sweet little feature on baze.djunkiii's label Intrauterin Recordings which, despite some hibernation periods in between, is going into its 20th year in 2k19.

Here it is!

Donna Missal - This Time [Harvest / Frank Records]

Already out on the digital circuit and set for physical release via Harvest / Frank Records on April 26th, 2k19 is "This Time", the debut album by rapidly rising artist Donna Missal which interestingly describes herself as 'emotional wreck with solid self-control' in her Instagram bio. Serving a set of eleven brand new songs within a total playtime of roughly 42 minutes we see Donna Missal exploring a reflective, expressive, yet oftentime considerate and inward looking take on Alternative Pop garnished with quite a lot of soulfulness and a certain way of evident brokenness to be felt in both classic songs as well as in more Future Soul-oriented musical outings like the emotional FutureSoul referring jam that is "Driving" whilst tunes like "Jupiter" seems to ooze sweet, yet distinct 80s influences with its characteristic midrange synth bass motif and somehow Miami Vice'esque vibe evoking memories of Kavinsky's epic classic "Nightcall" for some reason. With "Metal Man" the artist brings forth an athmospheric slow jam of a power ballad for sure, "Test My Patience" comes with quite a bit of a crackly vintage feel - think early Portishead having a lovechild with killer 90s R'n'B in a smoky saloon here, "Thrills" goes down the sexy, intimate and highly dramatic ballad alley, "Keep Lying" takes the Vintage Soul vibe to another, most fascinating power level and looking at the "Skyline" once again showcases Donna Missal's ability to build up from tender and loving to highly dramatic vocalwise within only one song seamlessly and effortlessly. Furthermore "Transformer" is build on a foundation of raw Soul and dope Funk to provide a killer backdrop for bourbon-fueled, emotional late night sessions, "This Time" is the panoramic ballad every album needs and the final cut "Don't Say Goodnight" well caters to needs of those still loving their Easy Listening-infused, widescreen TripHop / Downbeat enriched with highly expressive, broadway'esque vocals for an excellent closing. Good stuff.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes - Crowbar (Official Video)

High-octane, Blues-infused Alternative Rock for jumping, banging, partying pits - we're defo in for this!

RY X - Unfurl [Infectious / BMG]

After being featured on these pages extensively over the past months with official audio postings for his tunes "Yayaya" and "Untold" as well as the video for "Foreign Tides" it's now about time to dive even deeper into the musical realms of RY X who's been releasing his sophomore album named "Unfurl" via Infectious / BMG on February 15th, 2k19. Over the course of thirteen tracks and approx. 51 minutes we're drawn into tender sonic spheres of inward-looking, pad- and 4/4-driven Indietronics which both work for focused homelistening as well as hyper-romantic closing tune for early morning DJ-sets, especially in songs like "Bound", whereas "Body Sun" delivers a touching, beautiful take on longing piano ballads and "Coven" is another perfect crossover between folksy, intimate IndiePop and the club music world, in this case floating, crystalline (Neo)Trance structures. With "Hounds" we see RY X fully entering fragile Folk / Singer-Songwriter territories for a mid-album breakdown, "The Water" is the most uptempo and dancefloor friendly, yet  most emotionally touching affair on this album and "Mallorca" is a sweet and easy little summer tune for chill moments on mediterranean terraces, hanging out with a loved one. Furthermore "To Know" brings out a more autumnal, melancholia-driven side in RY X's very distinct and unique musical approach, "Sun (Ambient)" provides a (Neo)Classical interlude of sorts before the final "Fumbling  Prayer" waves goodbye in a solemn, tender and caressing member like a beauteous closing tune should do. One album to listen to with your significant other over and over and over again.

Odd Nosdam - Cookies

A first, dark and dope as fuck preview on what's to expect from the forthcoming Odd Nosdam album named "Mirror" which is aboutto hit the stores via the Alien Transistor imprint in mid-March, 2k19.

Sascha Müller [Supersix Records Extra 080]

Coming back with his 80th - sic! - untitled album release on his very own Supersix Records-imprint is our man Sascha Müller who's about to unleash another set of eleven brand new tracks with this one. Opening with "Android Wargames" we see Uelsen's finest going deep into the realms of super dry, bouncy, stripped down MinimalTechno with a slightly retrofurist sci-fi twist whereas his interpretation of the "Arctic Summer" turns out to be a captivating DubTechno-infused SloMo Rave experience whilst the "Audio Buzzer" wakes us up with a highly seductive low end melody atop a busy, fast-paced killer Electro foundation and the "Audiogramm" fully caters to the needs of all original Ambient and ChillOut heads with its ever floating, morphing pads and subtle clap / percussion arrangements. Following up is "Bahnexpress", an excursion into pumping, tool-oriented Tribal- meets DiscoHouse, "Bankok" caters a psychedelic Electro vibe that vinyl lovers might've heard already on Sascha Müller's 2012 12" release "Sommernachtsträume" and "Bass Damage" is done by hard, overly compressed Techno bassdrums, razor sharp hi-hats and a  raw banging, tool'ish overall approach. Furthermore the "Beats Wars" are fought with the help of more harsh, brutally distorted bassdrums, space bleeps and spiralling synthesizer loop arrangements, "Beefcake" pays homage to dreamy, complex productions by the likes of Move D throughout his "Kunststoff" era, "Bits And Bites" provides a friendly take on ChillOut / SpaceElectro whilst focusing on warm pads and a lo-fi, yet playful and melodic main motif before the concluding cut named "Black Day" serves more of a reduced, stripped down abstract motor city vibe for a closing.

ViVii - Love Love Love

A quite subtle little earworm of a tune delivered by the Swedish duo ViVii which are about to release their self-titled album debut via Dumont Dumont / Rough Trade on March 15th, 2k19.

Various Artists - Far Away But Even Closer: Young Lithuanian Composers Abroad [Music Information Centre Lithuania]

Recently released via the ever active Lithuanian label outfit that is the Music Information Centre Lithuania, the main hub for the countries Contempory Classical and experimental music scene, is "Far Away But Even Closer: Young Lithuanian Composers Abroad", a nine track compilation album focusing on the musical works of Lithuanian expats and their role in the countries widespread cultural diaspora in a globalized world. All composed in the years 2017 / 2018 the selection of pieces starts off with Andrizs Arutiunion's "Armen", a glitchy, busy, bleepy and somewhat friendly tribute to both the early days of experimental electronic music composition, tape manipulation, glitched out modular synthesis and even echoes of 60s Psychedelic Rock whilst Gediminas Zygus' "Delirium" takes us deep into heavenly Ambient spheres and "Nice To Meet You" by Jura Elena Sedyte amalgamates (Neo)Classical composition techniques for piano and strings with elements of Jazz Noir and electronic textures to a calm, stripped down, yet thrilling effect. Following up we see Donatus Tubutis exploring intense, buzzing repetetive electronic pulses with his minimalistic, electroacoustic composition named "Tracer" which turns out to be our favorite cut on this album, Juta Pranulyte's "Intus" seems to play around with several ways of experimental brass and wind instrument abuse, bringing forth haunting, klaxon'esque pulses and other ghostly, brooding and partly even intensely threatening layers whilst "Going In" by Justina Siksnelyte creates a vibe of deep meditation and Ritualistic Ambient with its floating, ethereal gong / gamelan layers. Furthermore Aurimas Bavarskis' "V.A.L." meanders in between Drone, manipulated Field Recordings and scraping, fluttering Noize garnished with occasional retrofuturistic Ambient chords, Aiste Noreikaite deals with "Digital Empathy" in a symbiotic manner, fusing calm Ambient flows and computational sounds with experimental eruptions of electroacoustic nature, evoking memories of the legendary German "Abschied Aus Berne" compilation and Vitalija Glovackyte's closing contribution "Tender Volts" caters to the needs of all lovers of traditionally fuzzed out, blurry Ambient structures worldwide. Highly recommended, this!   

Album artwork on Instagram!

The Cinematic Orchestra feat. Roots Manuva - A Caged Bird / Imitations of Life (Official Audio)

Has it really been 12 years since The Cinematic Orchestra has released its last album? Now they're about to make a comeback with a new one in March, 2k19.

Echo Chamber - Antinodal [Aut Records 043]

Released via Berlin's Aut Records on December 1st, 2k18 is "Antinodal", the four track EP debut by the musical triumvirate which is Echo Chamber, a collaborational project formed by Davide Lorenzon, Michele Pedrazzi and Chris Hill. Opening with the 9+ minutes tune "Jabazzu's Dream" the trio paves ways for things to come, providing a well fascinating, cinematographic approach in terms of fusing lively, yet decent Jazz percussions with captivating vintage synthesizer works and a distinct Future Jazz feel whereas the follow up "Passo Navene" provides a Clicks'n'Cuts-infused electronic rhythm signature as a foundation for score'esque synth pulses and a great homage to classic espionage movie themes and soundtracks. Furthermore the groups "Treppenwitz" is a playful, frolicking variation on free floating, organic Jazz experimentalisms with a certain inherent touch of melancholia, working towards a hounded, fast-paced FreeJazz climax and the concluding composition "Risorgiva" provides a grande finale in amalgamating crystalline 80s synth melodies with a quirky, raw low end and an Easy Listening-infused, high class 70s BarJazz vibe for an excellent closing. Check! 

Album artwork on Instagram!

RY X - Foreign Tides (Official Video)

The next smash hit taken off of RY X's forthcoming album "Unfurl" which is about to hit the stores on February 15th, 2k19.

Various Artists - This Is Frafra Power! [Makkum Records 024]

Scheduled for release on February 22nd, 2k19 via the Dutch imprint Makkum Records as their cat.no. 024 is "This Is Frafra Power!", the latest selection of African, specifically Ghanaian music from the countries Bongo-region to be released via the label. Inspired by a vast selection of recorded music handed to Makkum Records head honcho Arnold De Boer by King Ayisoba-drummer Francis Ayamga the compilation reflects on the regions vast music scene which tends to record their songs in the local language that is Frafra. Opening with Fausty Amoa Mabile's "Nosonayine" the album draws us directly to the center of steamingly hot African dancefloors fueled by stripped down, repetitive electronic rhythm signatures and captivating chants whereas "Seero" by Awudu Messenger brings forth more fever'ish electronic pulses and a taste of well-syncopated dancefloor heat. Furthermore Linda Ayupaka serves a massive AfroPop-banger with "Ndaana E'era Ymah", Atiah Mba's "Hunanki" mixes up traditional African music and drums with a stripped down and distinctly compressed UK urban swingbeat before Ragizeer's "Matala Ligiri" somehow meanders between Reggaeton and TropicalHouse to a killer effect. Following up is "Bonboriga N Lobema" by I Remember Yesterday, another sweet excursion into synth-heavy, melodic AfroPop greatness, Bid Gad's "Socre" caters lo-fi polyrhythms and a classic, soulful Kologo-feel and the final cut "Sugri" by Sugri Hajia Zenabu caters a traditional work-related call-and-response chant stretched out over 8+ minutes without being tiring or too repetetive at any given second. Highly recommended, this.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Minx / Zimmerman - Minx / Zimmerman [Espacial Discos Promo]

Already put on the circuit via the Spanish label Espacial Discos on November 15th, 2k18 is the re-release of the self-titled, rare debut album of Dutch duo Minx / Zimmerman which they originally released on their Freudian Backroom-imprint back in 1985. With the original six track piece being a sought after collectors item amongst Minimal Wave- / SynthWave-fans as well as those following catchy, well-uplifting SynthPop / 80s music in general we clearly see this one taking over dancefloors of dedicated underground venues once again as the opening cut "Song For Alice" is quite a smash hit in its own right whereas the follow up "Dreams That Money Can Buy" employs a moodier, yet not less melodic vibe whilst delivering a slight nod to capitalism and love before "Days On A Mountain" are well spent in terms of dancing to a beatless killer cut based on dark'ish vocals and a simple, excellent and ever repeating Synth motif. Furthermore the "Good Old Days" indulge in full on kitsch and artificial, over the top plastic romanticisms, "Tearoom In The Rain" serves hypermelodic SynthPop and a bop of a lo-fi vocal performance whilst the concluding cut "Batavia" dabbles with fascinating filter- and echo-works in a sweet, synth-driven ballad fashion. Recommend stuff, this.

Promo artwork on Instagram!

Munchies On Flowers - Munchies On Flowers [Switch Music Recordings]

Scheduled for release via Switch Music Recordings on February 18th, 2k19 is "Munchies On Flowers" by Munchies On Flowers, the new solo project brought to life by producer Riccardo Gorone. Inspired by a BBC documentary on butterflies he started to work on this open format album which isn't held back by any genre restrictions or musical specifications. Beginning the seven track journey into what the promo sheet refers to as non-methodical music with "Cantatrice Chauve" we see Gorone exploring a realm set somewhat in between Ambient, Indietronics and deep Post-PostRock with a hint of Clicks'n'Cuts whereas the following cut named "Encore Aujord'hui" seems to be influenced by both electroid Phonk as well echoes of UK-bound bass music and Post-Dubstep before going off on a 4/4 Techno route, "Giullari - Part II" brings forth dream IDM for 2k19 and "Azazel Boogie" tells tales of more Detroit- and DubTechno-infused Phonk and bouncy Post-Dubstep for advanced late night dancefloors in intimate underground venues. Furthermore going full "Camouflage" results in well dreamy, tripped out Armchair Techno with the potential to end up as a massive future classic, the "White Rabbit Of Calypso" floats along spiralling, soft Ambient / ChillOut structures into peaceful, exotic heavens and the final cut "Ocean In One Drop" takes a soft turn into dry, well-abstract rhythm signatures and more chill, caressing melodic textures. Sweet one. We like.

Album artwork on Instagram!

baze.djunkiii Chart Haul 02/2019

Roger Rota - Octo [Aut Records 042]

Coming in only recently despite already being released in November 2k18 as cat.no. 042 of the Berlin-based label Aut Records is "Octo", the latest album piece realized by sax player and composer Roger Rota who's diving deep into the realms of Contemporary Jazz with an eight piece group of musicians over the course of this longplayer. Opening with "Cordes" the group sets the bar high in terms of creating an amalgamation of Jazz Noir and monster grooves whereas the follow-up "Nine" leaves the aspect noir behind and paves the way for things to come with an even bigger wave of killer grooves that seem to be the trademark specialty of Roger Rota and his fellow contributors on their mission to bring Jazz with all its facets back to the dancefloor, even in its most improvisational moments. With "Star" we see the group start out on a calm, slightly Balearic tip only to experiment with variations in tonal and pitch shifts as well as seemingly electroacoustic background movements as a foundation for a deeper, dramatic BarJazz attitude, "Two" weighs in more of a hounded Rock meets Klezmer meets espionage flic vibe before taking a surprising turn breakdownwise mid-composition whereas "Inda Trio" keeps up with its predecessors pace albeit being on a more uplifting, 80s infused tip, "Fro Be Ach" employs a classy, widescreen panorama approach for broadway soundtracks and romantic black-and-white movie productions of yore before "Ten" brings forth hints of high class 70s Psychedelia for contemporary Jazz heads. Furthermore track eight named "Eleven" weighs in a calm, autumnal, yet touching take on deep emotions, "Liturgic-Lale" brings on a solemn, yet spring-like and frolicking naturalistic Folk-infused feel whilst "Cose Preziose" brings back an excellent BarJazz vibe for sipping on classy cocktails and the final cut "Gidambaa" caters a surprising serving of thrilling JazzFunk for a closing. Highly recommended, this.

Dizzee Rascal - Quality (Official Video)

The man Dizzee Rascal is paying respect to the oldskool in sampling Nookie's alltime classic "Sound Of Music" in this one. Huge.

Standing Waves - The Wave [Standing Waves]

Scheduled for release on February 15th, 2k19 is "The Wave", the self-released seven track album piece created by the Marcus Davidson- and Robert Huckle-led project Standing Waves which was realized with the help of Kat Kleve and Jayson Stilwell on vocal duties. Produced with no musical preconceptions the journey starts with "Tabla Dance", a quite confusing mixture of WorldMusic elements, fiddles and electronic textures before "Elegy" dives deep into kitsch-dripping, highly dramatic piano romanticisms and the "Frog Chorus" delivers a sterile, generic, cliche, pseudo-oriental feel which might not even be able to impress those who've never been exposed to authentic music from the region ever. Furthermore "Hildegard's Dream", an interpretation on a piece written by Hildegard Von Bingen, dabbles in EthnoAmbient for a little more than eight minutes, the two parts of the title track "The Wave" go down a highly exaggerated (Neo)Classical meets Ambient / WorldMusic route and final cut "Sky Of Consciousness" once again brings fake melancholia and romantic elements to table without really striking a chord within the listener for more than one reason. Totally over the top. We don't get this at all.

Album artwork on Instagram!

DJ Marcelle / Another Nice Mess - Two Walls [Jahmoni Music]

Coming in from Munich's Jahmoni Music-camp only recently is the latest 10" outing produced for the label by the prolific Dutch artist known as DJ Marcelle / Another Nice Mess. Providing the original version of the title track "Two Walls", a head-over-heels trademark excursion into dry, super fast paced Future Tribal bordering Tribe Tekno with an ever repeating vocal sample seemingly stating 'Mark E. Smith' as the most dancefloor-friendly DJ Marcelle / Another Nice Mess production so far, as well as five additional remixes we're exposed to quite a range of variations including a short oriental excursion evoking memories of producers like Muslimgauze or Mutamassik, mechanical, probably Rhythm Industrial-influenced Dub journeys as well as full on freeform experimentalism which is a quite logical progression of DJ Marcelle / Another Nice Mess's former output for sure.

Ake Hodell - Verbal Brainwash And Other Works [Fylkingen Records]

Honoring the 100th birthday of Swedish experimental text/sound composer Ake Hodell we see the label Fylkingen Records putting out a reissue of the originally 2000-released 3CD box anthology "Verbal Brainwash And Other Works" which covers 29 compositions out of Hodells' entire body of work, covering the period from 1963 to 1977. Approved by the artist only three days before his death in its entirety the box set is an quite impressive legacy featuring the threatening, brutal anti-war piece that is "Structures III (Part 1)" which, as well its subsequent parts, focuses on long sequence of firing arms on the battlefield which well shocked the audience on the occasion of its world premier according to the extensive liner notes, various voice only pieces seemingly emulating the sound, athmosphere and sharp communication of war the former fighter pilot was well accustomed to, calm Field Recordings mixed up with repetetive Spoken Word patterns like the ones to be found in "The Voyage To Labrador" as well as experimental, Post-PostRock-infused and score-informed pieces like the great "Orpheic Revelations" on the first CD of this box. Furthermore CD2 offers great imaginative compositions like the dark, intense and atmospheric radioplay'esque "The Djurgarden Ferry Across The Styxx" which takes the listener into large, psychedelic underground vaults, to farthest shores, Dark Ambient realms and widest oceans and causes goosebumps even for those who don't understand Swedish at all whereas the "Road To Nepal" weighs in a naturalistic intro sequence before extremely cut-up vocals start meandering through the stereo field in a quite hypnotic manner, later accompanied and erased by multilayered Field Recordings, sequences of electroacoustic rhythm patterns and trippy episodes taking us deep into jungles and rain forests of Asia to describe two out of the four compositions on this disc. Finally CD3 brings forth another five pieces, with "Introduction To 'Mr. Smith In Rhodesia' By The Composer" featuring the morse-code- and naval- and advertisement-transmission heavy "USS Pacific Ocean" as well as Ake Hodell's view of and intention for the subsequent "Mr. Smith In Rhodesia", before the final cut "Spirit Of Ecstasy, Racing Car Opera" provides quite a collage'esque approach over the course of 24+ minutes, employing cut up- as well as early pitch shifting techniques to create a fluxus- / dada-influenced piece for an epic closing. A highly recommended box set for all those interested in the early years of electronic and experimental Scandinavian composition and beyond.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Various Artists - Powder In Space [Beats In Space 036]

Scheduled for release on February 15th, 2k19 is "Powder In Space", the latest continuous DJ-mix compilation crafted by Momoko Goto a.k.a. Powder for Tim Sweeney's Beats In Space-label. Within a runtime of 70+ minutes we see the Japanese artist blend together a selection of 18 tracks, opening with Ambient Techno and dubbed out, slow-motion Breakbeat / Jungle by the likes of Samo DJ & Hidden Operator as well as Tornado Wallace, drifts off into dreamy MinimalHouse, explores the groovy DeepHouse realms of Daphne's "When You Love Someone (Groove Instrumental)", meanders towards experimental Electro, weighs in Lo-Fi Funk / Beatdown by Tiago, thrilling, intense Techno by Karamika and raw technoid abstracions brought to us by The Sun God, incorporates a hint of slightly jacking Acid produced by K-Line and even goes down in a Latin Tribal DeepHouse fashion with Jules Etienne's "Cuban Omelette" just to name a few tracks picked from this musically wide-ranged mix effort. A pretty eclectic selection reflecting an intimate underground club setting packed with a small, yet highly dedicated crowd of music lovers and well-schooled nightlife regulars.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Paal Nilssen-Love - New Brazilian Funk [PNL Records 042]

The second project initiated by Paal Nilssen-Love for the Roskilde Festival 2018 also resulted in an album, this one named "New Brazilian Funk", which also has been co-produced by Noize-legend Lasse Marhaug as well as put on the circuit via PNL Records on January 25th, 2k19. This time collaborating with the likes of Felipe Zenicola, Frode Gjerstad, Kiko Dinucci and Paulinho Bicolor we see Paal Nilssen-Love deliver a seven track menu on this album, opening with the unsettling FreeJazz / NoiseRock excursion that is "Biggles And The Gun-Runners" which is offering an uncomfortably wobbly, off-kilter bass foundation alongsite haunted, full-on madness and insanity as its main features before "Beating Back Pain" is building quite a lively bridge between FreeJazz, classic Rock'n'Roll riffing and driving Funk Psychedelia whereas the "Rural Riders" get into intricate guitar feedback and distortion details, providing a wild, yet extremely groovy background for a killer lo-fi vocal performance which takes us straight back to the most drug-infused 70s sessions ever. Elaborating on "Five Dollars And A Jug Of Rum" we see the group moving into a deep, fever'ish and slightly ritualistic state of trance, "Restless" is string torture and nightmare fuel par excellance, the "Fruit Of The Lemon" brings forth more ritual fever and thrilling musical voodoo and the final cut "Pick A Time"  waves goodbye with a stripped down monster groove sax solo evolving into a maximum Noize Funk crescendo over the course of 9+ minutes. Highly recommended and maybe the best PNL Records release we've reviewed up to this date.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Paal Nilssen-Love - New Japanese Noise [PNL Records 043]

Released only recently via his very own PNL Records-imprint is "New Japanese Noise", one of two new projects crafted by Paal Nilssen-Love as commissioned works for the 2018 edition of Denmark's famed Roskilde Festival. Produced alongside Noize-legend Lasse Marhaug and with contributions by Akira Sakata, Kiko Dinucci, Kohei Gomi and Toshiji Mikawa the Danish artist caters a menu of five tracks on this one, opening with the ten minute stretch of "Stiff Upper Lip Jeeves", a thundering, ultraviolent excursion into brutal FreeJazz territories followed by "Up The Line To Death" which slows down things significantly, focusing on a deeper, more accessible and obviously melancholia-driven side of FreeJazz, even bringing forth echoes of tongue-in-cheek romanticism and - sic! - tenderness. Furthermore "Eats, Shites And Leaves" borders, despites its title, on a score'esque, stripped down Jazz Noir vibe for those who know whilst working towards a thundering, feedback-heavy climax, "The Bone People" is an intense take on spine-tingling vocal-led brutalism and sonic anger and the final "Birdsong" once again employs a wall-of-sound approach which, like the whole longplay piece, is not made to be enjoyed by the faint-hearted listeners out there.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Ciastko - Ciastko [Gusstaff Records]

The Polish Gusstaff Records-imprint is on a reissue tip with the only and same-titled album of one the countries first NoiseRock outfits - Ciastko. Originally put on the circuit as a critically acclaimed cassette-only release back in 1992 the band and its eleven tracks spanning musical legacy vanished into relative obscurity up until now, with this re-release bringing forth a dark'ish, desperate feeling as well as an apocalyptic greyscale atmosphere to a new audience consisting of NoiseRock-fans as well as followers of DarkWave and experimental PostPunk. Despite being remastered from DAT the lo-fi sound aesthetics of the era and the vibe of a supposed full-on DIY attitude remain prevalent, especially in the cold war- and concrete wall-infused 7 minute epos that is "Reissen", the spiralling, psychedelic, militant dancefloor smash "Spokojna Niedziela" or the thundering drum-inferno "Sucker" which defo harks back to the underground Punk / Hardcore movement for a little less than three minutes. Furthermore songs like "Hymn" tell tales of teen angst, PostHardcore and intense Spoken Word performances, "Cito Et Veni" weighs in a SkateMetal-informed whirlwind for heaving moshpits and the final song "Nobody" dramatically and theatrically unfolds over the course of 7+ minutes, redefining excessive madness and insanity for the early nineties, just to name a few songs from this well-interesting piece of lost Polish music history. Check.

Album artwork on Instagram!

09.02.2019 WAX UNLIMITED @ Beat Boutique / Hamburg

decks: baze.djunkiii [Intrauterin Recordings]

file under: Minimal / Electro / NeoDetroit

doors open: 10 pm

Beat Boutique
Max-Brauer-Allee 219
22765 Hamburg
Germany

baze.djunkiii Charts 02/2019

01. Schulverweis [Neoprimitive 003]
A hand-numbered, limited to 100 copies four track release from the relatively fresh Neoprimitive label that switched to lo-fi, underground PostPunk and (No)Wave with this one after dabbling in DarkAmbient / Drone territories with its first two outings. Defo a killer release, especially for the massive dancefloor smash that is "Clouds On Heroin" which will cause havoc in every underground batcave around the globe as well as the lovely, minimal PostPunk slow-jam "Kaputt" which is our favorite cut on this 7".

02. Various Artists - Breakin Bass [Breakin Bass Records]
A thrilling nine track vinyl compilation focusing on the well-varied bass music scene to be found in Spain which many people might be unaware of. The selection of tunes is as diverse as bass music can be with "Bloodclat" by S Curro & Manul covering a dark'ish crossover of Dancehall and Grime, The Gardener feat. SKLT SKLT's "Nube Negra" exploring laid back Catalan vibes and a killer slow motion groove, Flat Erik's "Matrix *Lost Twin Remix" bringing forth brooding, stripped down Grime flavors and the collaboration of BSN Posse & Jayeem resulting in "Calabria" even rips a well-known sax sample nicked from a House hit of the past to present an over the top GhettoBass vision just to name a few cuts featured on this recommended longplayer.

03. Various Artists [Destroy Oh Boy 002]
DarkJungle rules big time with this four tracker featuring tunes by Dr. Colossus, Aaron Spectre, Kingusi as well as General Waste & Complicit on a limited yellow vinyl 12" pressing with naturally the Remarc remix of Dr. Colossus' "Iron Dub" being the one tune that's about to receive wild crowd reactions as it delivers an excellent take on Max Romeo's alltime Reggae-favorite "Chase The Devil". Massive!

04. Breaka - Swinging Flavors #7 [Beat Machine Records]
Another sweet little 7" release on blue vinyl which caters to the needs of the very underground in terms of Bass Music and especially Jungle / Drum'n'Bass. Bouncy stuff with epic Detroit-flavored pads which will appeal to fans of the Western Lore-imprint as well as to Juke / Footwork lovers although the mastering and pressing quality of both mixes of "Damn Hot" is quite low and the vinyl itself way too lightweight and skimpy.

05. Fracture - Soundboy Get Nervous [Exit Records]
Exit Records has become, alongside the mighty Metalheadz, one of the driving forces in terms of Drum'n'Bass innovation and class and Fracture's four track EP defo proves why they've taken the scene by storm. The title track "Soundboy Get Nervous" is nothing short of a stripped down, bass heavy Halftime Drum'n'Bass banger surely made to stand the test of time, "Turbo Toms" dabbles with amalgamation of Halftime and banging 4/4 TribeTekno, "Makes Me Wonder" fuses high tech production values and a reprocessed Soul sample and the final cut "No Screwface" combines Halftime steppper vibes with a mid-90s will to experiment. Excellent stuff!

06. Various Artists - Death To Digital EP Volume Three [Kniteforce Records 088]
The legendary home of Oldskool, Breakbeat and Happy Hardcore is still alive and kicking - and they do love vinyl for sure. With artists like Wislov, DJ Deluxe, Abyss and Shoeman the Kniteforce Records-camp proves that this oftentimes overlooked branch of the electronic music scene is buzzing still and there's pretty much room for some well over the top productions for the candy raver and whistle crew. Nice.

07. Dub Phizix vs. Fixate - Hotfoot / Babalugats [Exit VS. 008]
A new round in the limited Exit Records whitelabel series and once again the artists featured on here know well how to slay, bringing forth two massive, stripped down, highly detailed and bass heavy Halftime Drum'n'Bass bangers as a blueprint for what the new school of Drum'n'Bass is all about these days - a forward thinking approach and the exploration of new levels in sound design. Great.

08. W/V - W/V [Silken Tofu 060]
See review for details...

09. Boys Noize - Killer [The Vinyl Factory / Boys Noize Records]
The remake of a classic. We all fondly remember Adamski's "Killer" and Seal's classic, goosebump-inducing vocal performance which ruled dancefloors and mainstream radio in the early 90s. Now we see Alex Ridha a.k.a. Boys Noize coming forth with an update that stays pretty close to the original cut, yet delivers a little more punch to level out with today's production and mastering standards for those willing to incorporate the occasional classic tune in their sets. Charming and useful.

10. Dave Angel - Belle Ame / Let The Sun In [Rotation Records]
Dave Angel has been a staple in the Techno world ever since and both tracks featured on this inside-out cut 12" prove that he's never lost it over the course of nearly three decades since he emerged on the scene in the early 90s. Deep, intricate, melodic Techno with a touch of Trance and a fair share of tender, floating Detroit beauty is what's to be found here and what will be loved amongst a wide range of DJ's in the future due to its timeless quality for a reason.

Makh - Motion EP

Deeply touching large scale panoramic Ambient, dark Techno melancholia and beautiful Electronica straight outta Lebanon. Great stuff!