Cuts - Unreal [Village Green Recordings 067]

Released in early December 2k20 via Village Green Recordings as their cat.no. 067 is "Unreal", the latest album outing created by musician and filmmaker Anthony Tombling Jr for the label. As many contemporary albums made throughout, perceived in and inspired by an extended period of a COVID-19 induced lockdown as well as other political and societal shifts observed by Tombling and described by himself as '... the heaviest record I've made...' "Unreal" clocks in at eight tracks and 38 minutes runtime, opening with the gnarly, bass-heavy, highly digital and Rhythm Industrial-leaning cut "R U OK?" which could cause havoc on Dubstep-infused dancefloors as well whilst the subsequent "Dissolution" amalgamates elastic, complex (Electro)Phonk structures with dreamy HyperPop vocals and ethereal, panoramic synth works for advanced peak time settings. The title track "Unreal" presents more of a dreamy, 4/4-induced derivative of Melodic TechHouse sporting more autotuned vocal bits, "Omega Minus" is on a deep, solemn and inward looking IDM meets Future Bass Music / Post-Whatever tip whilst "Sheltered Life", reflecting on the circumstances of the albums production in its title, provides an Electronica version of Dope Beats as dry as possible whilst brooding subs, off-kilter synths and uberly compressed beats bordering distortion mode cause a feel of imminent horror and post-apocalyptic unease. Furthermore "The Brink" sonically depicts the state of society as a somewhat desolate, yet strangely hopeful HyperPop ballad for hard, codeine-sipping introverts, "Exhale Exile" is in for more expertly sculpted, hard hitting Bass Music / Industrial Step and surreal, hyperchromatic melodies reminiscent of tunes crafted by producers like Ikonika and the likes of before the final cut forecasts and foreshadows "An Infinite Collaps" caused by an overdose of distinct SlowHouse grooves. Highly recommended, this.

Album artwork on Instagram!

One Arm - Mysore Pak [Alara Music]

Recently released via Alara Music - with Alara being an abbreviation for 'as low as reasonably achievable' and / or 'as loud as reasonably acceptable' - is "Mysore Pak", the first ever full length album collection by the well elusive French four piece group One Arm which combines recordings created from 1998 to 2016 to create the outfits longplay first, despite being around for over two decades. Comprised of an instrumental arsenal consisting of two drum sets and two bass guitars in combination with samples and Field Recordings the group explores a sonic universe somewhat meandering in the grey area between PostPunk, Ingenious Dilettantes and Industrial with an undeniably subdued lo-fi attitude, garnished with elements of Indie, Grunge / PostGrunge and partly even Americana-leaning sounds, with the latter being well obvious in the hypnotic PostPunk banger "ESG" with its twangy, krautsy, 'travelling down an endless road' attitude whereas the subsequent follow up that is "Space Is The Place" provides wonderfully dubbed out vibes for full on greyscale desolation, "Fiddle" seems to present a crossover between Siouxsie & The Banshees' darkest moments and the tribalistic, oriental approach of projects like C Cat Trance, "City" is nothing short of a distinct banger for advanced PostPunk / Indie dancefloors whilst "Bo" dabbles with deepest, creeping late night Dub and "Step 3" hits Industrial Dub crowds with hard as fuck snare drums alongside found sounds and feedback heavy electric guitars just to pick a few favorites here. Recommended for fans of Vivien Goldman and likeminded artists. And everyone else.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Sascha Müller - Generator EP [Dancefloor Socialism 008 Promo]

Put out on the digital circuit quite recently via Dancefloor Socialism as the labels cat.no. 008 is Sascha Müller's "Generator EP", a new two track single crafted by the Uelsen-based producer. Whilst the title track that is "Generator" provides us with a gnarly, stripped down and slightly distorted Techno groove backed by dubbed out, elastic atmospheres we see the second cut, "Merkwürdige Sachen", indulge in slow, stomping Oldskool Techno territories with a subdued, yet ecstatic rave twist for those who know. Proper good, this.

Eric Random - No-Go [Klanggalerie 347]

Released on December 18th, 2k20 via the ever active Klanggalerie label is "No-Go", the latest eleven tracks and 48 minutes spanning album outing by Eric Random which, just as a side note, comes at us with the most fascinating and most thought out album artwork we've seen in a long time. Influenced by and invlvd in the growing PostPunk and electronic scene of both Manchester and Sheffield from the late 70s onwards with an organically grown network reaching from the founding fathers of Cabaret Voltaire to playing with musicians as different as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Nico we see Eric Random diving deep into the electronic realm on his third album after his 2014 comeback following an extended break, opening with the slightly Kraftwerk'esque Electro cut that is "Synergy" which amalgamates retrofuturist synth harmonies and harmonizer / vocoder vocals with a contemporary dancefloor approach whilst the subsequent "Compulsion" weighs in a washed out and haunted SynthPop vibe with a deep, melancholic dancefloor twist and well recognizable echoes of Bleeps And Clonks present in the tunes production. With "Is The Sun Up" we see Eric Random provide clear references to the early days of UK Techno and its more Industrial leaning pioneers like CV whilst providing a touching, well emotional breakdown for the dancefloor crowd, "Dirt" indulges in Electro powered by raw, ever spiralling bass synths and warped otherworldly vocals before a track like "Fundamental Phenoma" clearly is inspired by the infant days of Detroit Techno and earliest productions by Cybotron vibewise, "The Familiar" caters a more modernist take on dancefloor functional ElectroPop / TechnoPop and the "Sinuous Seduction" weighs in a ton of proper Phonk vibes essential for every true Electro connaisseur out there. Furthermore "It's Come Again" harks back to a highly seductive, somewhat hormone-driven and super sexy Kraftwerk-vibe for lovers, "No-Show" pairs a screaming, muscular, ever modulating AcidHouse / BleepTechno foundation with more classic 80s vocal greatness whereas the obvious question "What Does It Feel Like" is answered by fast paced, high octane Electro-/ MinimalWave for ecstatic late night dancefloors and the final cut named "Acetylene Dream Pt. II" weighs in the most powerful Acid / Techno leaning production on this longplay piece for an epic closing. This one is essential and therefore a must. Nuff said.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Bill Thompson - Ocean Into Light [Burning Harpsichord Records 006]

Fresh on the Burning Harpsichord Records imprint as their cat.no. 006 is Bill Thompson's new one track album named "Ocean Into Light". Released on February 12th, 2k21 the roughly 52 minutes long composition to be found on Thompson's latest outing follows along the lines of the artists previous works in terms of employing a foundation of long, droney and sustained tones which are combined with ever moving, somewhat reversed sounding rhythmic fragments and surprisingly tense - and dense... - layers of screaming, screeching digital feedback eruptions and distorted sound warping which, at times, are bordering pure braincell crushing Noize bursts emerging from what is a mostly hypnotic, yet somewhat unsettling stream of soothing UnAmbient further progressing into deep minimalist Drone movements partly accompanied by slightly electrical undertones and buzzing microvibratos perfectly reflecting on the neverending stream of digital data holding together the world and global economic network of today's society as well as REM phase inducing Deep Listening Music over the course of the albums entire runtime. This is quite a trip.

Møster - Dust Breathing [Hubro Music]

A fresh addition to the catalogue of the Norwegian label Hubro Music is "Dust Breathing", the fifth overall album outing the four-piece project created since their longplay firstling in 2013 and also the fifth consecutive album Møster releases on the label which has proven to be the place to be for a wide variety of Nordic Jazz artists and beyond. But Møster is way more than just another Jazz-infused outfit, especially with guitarist Hans Magnus Ryan being a founding member of Motorpsycho and having worked closely with Deathprod whilst all other members including former band leader Kjetil Møster being invlvd in a gazillion of other projects and sonic musings as well. This said, the music of Møster is way beyond and way more than just Jazz with the epic, nearly 14 minutes spanning opener "The Bonfire, The Sun" meandering in between krautsy, hypnotic and somewhat trance-inducing territories - think: the effects of Nordic war chants and hums here - and furious PostRock / PostMetal / MathJazz territories of sorts whereas "Waistful Tendencies" explodes into a full on instrumental Jazzabilly / high octane Garage Jazz fest sporting heavy riffing, whipping drums and a well hounded, over the top attitude whilst "Ausculptation" seems to function as a counterpart with its long elegic notes, subdued drums and relaxed, yet still experimental and slightly psychedelic late summer evening sunset attitude. Furthermore we see a triple set of tunes, "Organ Of Bodies I - III", weighing in a musical range from dreamy Ambient-leaning guitar / feedback drones to dense, slightly psychedelic Rock / Jazz / Improv fusion cuts as well as Heavy Rock / Metal for a second part of this longplay piece which defo is far out considering the, already well diverse, majority of releases put out on the circuit via Hubro Music.

Album artwork on Instagram!

User26547738290 - Andromeda EP [User Recordings 024]

The next one in an endless stream of weekly sequels released by the digital imprint User Recordings is the "Andromeda EP" which is crafted by User26547738290 as an obvious first for the label. Opening with "Andromeda" we see the unknown producer undergo a journey into a stripped down realm of spatial, slightly ritualistic Intelligent Techno with a bubbly Acid twist for fans of acts like Psychik Warriors Ov Gaia, Minimal Man and the likes of whilst "Untitled 4" shifts gears rapidly and explores the highly hallucinatory effect of high speed drum triplets, clap rhythms and raw, untamed well over the top Acid modulations for hyperecstatic underground dancefloors. Killer.

Tiziano Popoli - Burn The Night / Bruciare La Notte (Original Recordings, 1983 - 1989) [RVNG Intl. / Freedom To Spend Promo]

Put out on the circuit as a collaborational effort between RVNG Intl. and their sister / sublabel Freedom To Spend on January 22nd, 2k21 is "Burn The Night / Bruciare La Notte (Original Recordings, 1983 -1989)" - a massive, 75 minutes lasting anthology of soundtrack, score and commissioned works created by Italian composer Tiziano Popoli throughout named time period. Heavily employing a technique of MIDI-routing melodic patterns programmed on a Roland TR-909 through a Yamaha DX7 synthesizer whilst not necessarily shying away from a certain Pop attitude the cuts featured on this album present a wider muscial variety of Popoli's musical work including the strange, alienating cut-up rhythms of the Plunderphonic-leaning opener "Twist", the friendly, seductive and well funky Proto Electro meets Easy Listening piece "Svelf" whilst "Se Son Rose Fioriranno" well represents the composers love of the simplicity of Pop music, albeit in a slighty off-kilter way, pairing a catchy Synth hook with clumsy beats and even a somewhat religious connotation when it comes to cut-up vocal snippets. Furthermore pieces like the warm and athmospheric, melancholia-inducing "Mimetto Erettile" bring forth an obvious influence of Minimal Music Tiziano Popoli is widely recognized and appreciated for in avantgarde circles whereas the title track "Bruciare La Notte" caters a haunting SynthPop vision featuring a real classical string section alongside ethereal retrofuturistic synth pads and the most uplifting "Il Fantasma" even seems to employ structures harking back to courtly formal medieval dances yet translating them into an unimaginably far out future yet to come just to name a few of our favorite cuts here. An essential trip into the past of Italian electronic music history this that certainly is not to be missed.

25.02.2021 baze.djunkiii presents Booty. Volume 4 @ Radio Flouka / Paris (2100 GMT+1)

Radio Flouka-resident baze.djunkiii is back with a treat for this months show which also is his first ever full on Electro selection for the station. Opening with a very special and super rare lathe cut version of „Time Is An Abyss“ by long standing electronic music producer Lagowski baze.djunkiii works his way from cold, futuristic Electro tunes with a slighty abstract twist towards uplifting, positive and hyperchromatic dancefloor anthems to heavy 808s and Breakdance infused future classics and well beyond. Watch out!

decks: baze.djunkiii [Intrauterin Recordings]

file under: Electro

transmission time: 21oo - 22oo GMT+1

get locked via Radio Flouka
Paris

Magneto - Requiem Pour Satana [Gusstaff Records]

Lined up for release via the Poland-based imprint Gusstaff Records on March 5th, 2k21 is "Requiem Pour Satana", the latest longplay outing cooked up by the Polish instrumental trio that is Magneto. Formed by members well versed in Jazz, Improvisation and other kinds of contemporary music Magneto caters an eight tracks and 48 minutes spanning musical offering which immediately speaks to fans of Americana and twangy Desert Rock from the very first notes of the opener "Pama Rum Kwan" whereas "Temptation Of Stingray" indulges in soft, tender and inward looking PostRock for hot and lazy summer sunday afternoons, the title track "Requiem Pour Satan" provides another great, stripped down, tense and well score'esque take on slightly Morricone'esque DesertRock for pre high noon shoot-out situations, "Henryk Hula" explores upper class Easy Listening lounge grooves and the second to last cut "Danse Exotique D'un Amant Timide" weighs in off-kilter guitars and lively, well fever'ish tribal drums for ecstatic late night heat just to pick a few favorites here. Great stuff.

The D3VI7 - Die Violine Des Todes EP [Afflicted In Techno Promo]

Recently released on the digital circuit via Afflicted In Techno is the "Die Violine Des Todes EP", the latest two track single crafted by no-one less than The D3VI7 himself. Opening with the title track "Die Violine Des Todes" we see the dark lord jumping around to a bouncy, expertly sculpted bassdrum rhythm accompanied by stripped down, raw, minimal widely unprocessed lo-fi bleeps forming a sweet little retro motif whilst "Access 666" provides fast paced, rolling and highly effective ToolTechno for a second track.

Thomas Buckner / Randi Pontoppidan - Voicescapes [Chant Records]

Released via Chant Records on January 22nd, 2k21 is "Voicescapes", the new ten track collaboration album created by Danish vocalist Randi Pontoppidan and long time standing improvised music ambassador Thomas Buckner who's left a hefty mark on the circuit he worked in for over 50 years now. Perceived solely from live vocals and realtime electronic processing the 47 minutes spanning longplay piece presents an highly avantgarde-leaning array of spontaneous compositions covering a spectrum from tender, intimate layers of solemn nonvocalisms, partly even gravitating towards the realms of Modern Classical / Contemporary Opera whilst other sequences take guttural explosions and fractured syllables as well as half-phonemes to their very extremes, beyond for some even. Others - like the opener "Greeting" - fell victim to radical electronic fragmentations and processing, probably commited through programming environments like Max/MSP whilst pieces like "Evening" serve Pontoppidan's classically trained vocal improvisations along deep, nightly and sub-focused Ambient / DarkAmbient waves and pulses to create a beautiful, solemn yet still highly demanding piece of music which is amongst the most accessible cuts on "Voicescapes" - an album which most likely will speak to an audience of well experienced listeners only.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Palo Alto - Difference And Repetition: A Musical Evocation Of Gilles Deleuze [Sub Rosa 484]

Released only recently via the long standing imprint that is Sub Rosa is "Difference And Repetiton: A Musical Evocation Of Gilles Deleuze", the tenth full length album by experimental / avantgarde music project Palo Alto in their more than 30 years spanning career since they put out their very first cassette album on the label Old Europa Cafe back in 1990. Collaborating with the likes of Richard Pinhas, Thierry Zaboitzeff, Alain Damasio and Rhys Chatham which each play a role in one of the four parts on this 73 minutes spanning piece, starting with the extended ChillOut - think: Future Sound Of London - meets Psychedelic Rock guitar solo groover "The Tears Of Nietzsche" which should become an instant ChillOut room classic if these still existed in clubs today. The subsequent "Rhizome" explores minimal, droning Ambient territories as a backing for swampy, partially decaying sound warps, ancient melodies and slow, fever'ish, ritualistic drums paired with Dub-infused bass notes for those who appreciate classic works of producers like TV Victor whereas the triple set referred to as "Triptych" mainly focuses on Spoken Word and spiralling, intense, siren'esque sound crescendoes before the concluding title cut "Difference Et Repetition" explores what might be recognized as hypnotic and dubbed out, ethereally floating, ritualistic AmbientTrance for fans of Loop Guru or Technova if one wants to come up with a new, highly specific subset of electronic music. Excellent stuff. Check.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Trondheim Jazz Orchestra & The Maxx - Live [MNJ Records 002]

A Jazz album. Live recorded at Moldejazz 2018 - a prestigious Jazz festival in which The Maxx was awarded with the Jazz talent award the year prior to this recording. This is what the "Live"album by the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra in conjunction with The Maxx is all about, an album which was released through MNJ Records, the label associated with and run by the Midnorsk Jazz Senter, on November 27th, 2k20. According to the liner notes in the accompanying release / promo / sheet The Maxx are deeply entrenched in developing their music throughout endless jam sessions, a method well proven within the Jazz world and beyond and one that's defo reflected in this 44 minutes spanning recording session which opens on a deep, melodic and well groove-focused and slightly late night-leaning level with the extended "Jazzballaden" yet soon drifts off into complex multilayered realms of improvisation, progresses into Orchestral FreeJazz at times whilst employing captivating AfroBeat techniques at others, providing the listener and audiences with dramatic, highly captivating sequences and even takes on Americana vibes with the well surprising interlude that is "Hysterion". A full freestyle fest for every true Jazz fan out there.

Kompozyt - Spells [Gusstaff Records Promo]

Scheduled for release on March 5th, 2k21 via Poland-based imprint Gusstaff Records is "Spells", the third full length album effort created by Polish brothers Piotr and Michal Zuralski under their shared artistic moniker that is Kompozyt which they first brought to life back in 2018. Spread out over seven tracks and a total runtime of roughly 40 minutes the duo explores further variations in the grey area in which Dub-infused roots and electronic music production meet. Pairing classic and warm, yet minimalist and soundsystem shaking basslines with sparse electronic textures and heaps of echoes Kompozyt stay close to the original formula of Dub with a contemporary twist partially evoking memories of labels like ~scape or Honest Jon's, resulting in timeless pieces like the ever floating "New Earth" with its subtle, naturalistic string harmonies providing a hint of beautiful, yet a little kitsch-y and somewhat esoteric freedom, the heavy, metallic Downbeat of "One Bless" which harks back to acts like Kitachi and the likes of whereas they lay down a dark'ish 4/4-based stepper tune with the "Fog Weaver", build a blueprint for brooding Minimal Dub in 2k21 with the slow, yet highly intense "Touching Lips" whilst touching base with sci-fi Future Dub in the excellent additional bonus cut "Passenger" just to name a few. Recommended - not only for true Dub headz.

Out Today: Sascha Müller - Beat Junkie / Dope Beatz [Intrauterin Recordings 008]

Tracklist
A1: Beat Junkie
B1: Dope Beatz


File under: Electro / Phonk / Acid / Chemical Beats

It's the year 2021 and SASCHA MÜLLER is making a solo return with a 7“ single on Intrauterin Recordings - an astounding 16 years after his first appearance on the label back in 2005. Coming in raw, dirty and powerful as it gets „Beat Junkie“ weighs in a hypnotizing, grinding and surely Acid-fueled take on distorted, hard hitting peak time beat science whereas „Dope Beatz“ caters a brutal, dancefloor devastating variation of heavyweight (Electro)Phonk x Chemical Beats for strobe-lit industrial dancefloors throughout the darkest, most vantablack hours of the night. 100% untamed underground music for those in the know.

Initial pressing will be limited to 200 copies on 7“ gold vinyl.

Distributed via Word And Sound / Hamburg – order here!

Order via Bandcamp!

Notstandskomitee - Battle On Mars

Notstandskomitee · Battle On Mars

That's some proper oldskool'ish electroid SpaceFunk created for a video game soundtrack by Malte Steiner a.k.a. Notstandskomitee. Vinyl release incoming soon.

User10003356454 - No EP [User Recordings 023 Promo]

The next one in an endless strem of releases put on the circuit via the digital imprint User Recordings is their cat.no. 023, the "No EP" crafted by User10003356454. Whilst the opening tune "No7_A4" weighs in hollow, madly filtered underground Techno with a subdued, somewhat subaquatic twist and a certain lack of bass frequencies we see the quasi anonymous producer provide fierce, spiralling, distorted and surely braincell crushing MonoAcid with the subsequent cut that is "Untitled 3".

LAB.MIXTAPE.08 / BAZE.DJUNKIII

Love And Bass · LAB.MIXTAPE.08 / BAZE.DJUNKIII

A new baze.djunkiii mixcast feature is out there.

File under: DOOM + APOCALYPSE!

Lustmord + Nicolas Horvath - The Fall: Dennis Johnson's 'November' Deconstructed [Sub Rosa 502]

Released via the mighty Sub Rosa-imprint on November 20th, 2k20 is this special collaboration album which sees the artistic pairing of Brian Lustmord and Nicolas Horvath taking on Dennis Johson's "November" - a 1959 written piece for solo piano which is regarded as the first example of minimalist piano composition ever, thereafter inspiring many pieces to follow. And their effort is well worth it - in stripping down the already skeletal piece to its bare essentials, leaving only a few tender, slowly meandering and ever evolving piano tones from the original composition and pairing those with warm, organic background textures resembling winds distantly blowing over barren, desolate plains whilst sparse drone pulses occasionally emerge from the subfrequent end of the audible spectrum the two collaborators create nothing but a masterpiece in terms of piano driven Dark Ambient / Deep Listening Music that surely is about to stand the test of time, resonating with Contemporary Classical / Modern Classical audiences as well as Minimal Music connaisseurs and Ambient headz for now and forever. An instant future classic of absolutely timeless - and time defying - quality.

Album artwork on Instagram!

baze.djunkiii Chart Haul 02/2k21

Snow Palms - Land Waves [Village Green Recordings 057]

Put out on the circuit via Village Green Recordings on December 11th, 2k20 is "Land Waves", the third ever longplay outing the now duo cooked up for the label since their debut saw the light of day back in 2k12. On their seven tracks and roughly 43 minutes spanning journey we see project founder David Sheppard and production partner Matt Gooderson encounter highly chromatic Electronica soundscapes from the very first moments of the lively, well frolicking opener "Atom Dance" onwards which pairs the minimalist approach of certain subsets of Contemporary Classical music with seemingly Japanese melodic influences and beats at breakneck speed, working their way up to an ecstatic climax lasting throughout the majority of the song whilst "Everything Ascending" builds its vibrant, emerging and ever layered, hounded synth motifs on top of an ominous, muffled heartbeat and  "Evening Rain Gardens" presents itself in an equally calming and crystalline manner like a toddlers musical clock whilst adding soothing layers of female non-vocalisms to the equation for an bit of extra comfort. The subsequent title track "Land Waves" explores nightly, well futuristic and shimmering urban landscapes before progressing into more krautsy, meandering territories after a full on drum set enters the scene, "Thought Shadow" harks back to crystalline beauty with its glockenspiel'esque melodies and tender, naturalistic string section whereas "Kojo Yakei" focuses on the polyrhythmic interaction of soft pads and multicolored percussion meanderings and the closing tune that is "White Cranes Return" waves goodbye in a calm, friendly and all embracing manner providing the perfect soundtrack for a cozy winter afternoon. A hyperchromatic trip, this.

Album artwork on Instagram

The D3VI7 - Razor Boy EP [Dancefloor Socialism 007 Promo]

The D3VI7 is back on Dancefloor Socialism with a new digital two track single these days. Opening with the original version of "Razor Boy" the elusive artist goes down a pounding, stripped down and cowbell sporting Business Techno alley whilst tormenting eardrums with razor sharp hi-hat works and psyched out midrange bass modulations whereas the subsequent remix by German producer Hanzzo provides a heavier, well relentless variation on "Razor Boy" and wins us over through the use of a subtle, hypnotic two tone main motif and an intricate plethora of haunting, carefully interwoven layers of both haunted and futuristic qualities.

Ai Yamamoto - Pan De Sonic: ISO [Someone Good 025 Promo]

And the seemingly neverending theme of pandemic-influenced albums continues these days with Ai Yamamoto's "Pan De Sonic: ISO" which was put out on the circuit via the Australian imprint Someone Good on January 29th, 2k21. Homebound throughout the Australian summer of 2020 which is the European winter season due to an extended lockdown period Yamamoto started to record a gazillion of usually overheard and overlooked everyday sounds, an endless stream of Field Recordings which, over time, turned into loops, cut up rhythms and structures, partly melodic even, eventually falling in place to form a set of eight individual compositions that are to be found on this album. Tracks and compositions entirely created from those Field Recordings with no additional instruments used, a plunderphonic documentation of life in isolation, yet closer to Indietronics and tender, friendly lo-fi Electronica cuts of the late 90s and early 2000s than one might expect - especially when it comes to pieces like "Start Of The Day" or the mechanical, intricately layered and somewhat retrofuturistic Ambient sound of "Late Morning" which, in all its soothing beauty, is one of our favorite pieces on "Pan De Sonic: ISO" for a reason. Highly recommended.

Hitra - Transparence [Amp Music & Records 085]

Coming in via a letter from Paris-based musician Alessandro Sgobbio is "Transparence", the soon to be released album by the freshly formed multinational quartet Hitra which is comprised of the members Hilmar Jensson, Jo Berger Myhre and Øyvind Skarbø alongside Sgobbio himself. Scheduled for February 19th, 2k21 on the Norwegian imprint Amp Music & Records as the labels cat.no. 085 and spread out over the course of 33 minutes runtime we see the group on an explorationary journey into a new sonic realm, opening with the fascinating combination of dreamy, partially acoustic, inward looking and somewhat PostRock-oriented guitar licks and a raw, gnarly, highly experimental foundation of brooding, tectonically shifting bass layers as well as distorted, electrically buzzing feedback fragments which provide a running theme, a red ribbon on this longplay debut whilst cuts like "Künftiges" even feature ProgRock-leaning, singing electric guitar solos transferred into a well intimate Jazz context, "The Perfect Light Of Sandstad" dabbles with panoramic, yearning, maritime Ambient Jazz for sunsets in conjunction with a short, slightly dubbed out and Illbient-reminiscing intro sequence, "Cite Des Poetes" indulges in waves and waves of thundering piano experimentation whereas the final "Lebenslauf" enters an environment of luxurious, most classy cocktail serving spots for those who like their Jazz subtle, yet are drawn towards a more experimental and advanced subset of the genre just to name a few. Deep.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Christian Kobi - Hidden Place Of Return [Cubus Records 375]

Released on January 15th, 2k21 via Switzerland-based imprint Cubus Records is "Hidden Place Of Return", the new longplay outing by saxophone player and composer Christian Kobi who caters a massive set of six duo collaborations put out on the circuit in triple vinyl format as well as a 2CD album set. Spanning a total of 90 minutes the album features Christian Kobi on soprano and tenor saxopohone, working alongside the likes of Jacques Demierre, Camille Emaille, Christian Müller, Marc Unternährer, Antoine Chessex and Julian Sartorius for individual pieces, pairing his instrument of choice with contributions on spinet, percussion, electronics, tuba, more saxophone and even a saw blade for the final concluding piece. With each collaborational effort recorded in a quarry throughout the COVID-19 induced lockdown period of June 2k20 with environmental sounds present we're drawn into a musical cosmos based on minimalism and a highly avantgarde-leaning approach willing to explore the outermost boundaries of what might be vaguely referred to as Experimental Jazz by some whilst others might be drawn to a subset of Modern Classical / Contemporary Classical as an identifier or means of general classification, going from calm sequences to well lively, rattling eruptions which see the saxophone climb to unexpected heights whereas others rather focus on air floating within the instrument as well as the usually ignored micro-mechanical aspects of its performance, provide long, yearning, klaxon'esque melancholia, explore the deepest depths of the audible low end spectrum or even comforting, solemn waves of inward looking qualities for those appreciating a hyperminimalist approach towards brass instruments. An album for a small, yet very distinct - and: distinguished - audience.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Colin Fisher - Reflections Of The Invisible World [Halocline Trance 017 Promo]

Scheduled for release on March 26th, 2k21 via Toronto's Halocline Trance-imprint is Colin Fisher's new, seven tracks and roughly 42 minutes spanning album effort named "Reflections Of The Invisible World". Working with producer Jeremy Greenspan for the second time, resulting in his fifth overall longplay outing, we see Fisher, longstanding force within the Canadian scene, Caribou-collaborator and genuine man of many trades and projects, presenting a scintillating, well mesmerizing sonic realm starting with the hyperchromatic Ambient (Not Ambient) morphings of "Zero Experience" which provide a direct lineage to the genre defying, colorful productions of the likes of Throwing Shade, Darq E Freaker or Bad Stream who are all providing soundscapes for a futuristic and data-driven world whereas cuts like "Monadic Mirror" bring forth a combination of comforting electronic textures and highly detailed, micro-movement focused and reprocessed guitar experimentation which well exceed genre drawers like PostRock, Post-PostRock or Indietronica in their ability to create an isolated, shimmering musical bubble floating in and above nothingness. Same goes for the twangy "Double Image" which combines both 80s sounding saxophone lines and self-involved electric guitar dabblings in a slightly kitschy, yet story-telling late night manner whereas "Unchanging Awareness" provides a dreamy, masterly executed and ever meandering soundtrack built on a foundation of intricate, slightly guitar experimentation and atmospheric expansion for late summer sunsets just to name a few. A deep and beautiful journey, this.

Promo artwork on Instagram!

The D3VI7 - Nuke Vol. 13 [Nuke The Planet]

Coming in for a nuclear digital one track single to be released via the hard edged, mysterious imprint operating under the name of Nuke The Planet this month is The D3VI7 who is catering his "Nuke Vol. 13" on this one - a wild, sonically hyperbrutal ride into extremely twisted and super distorted lo-fi Industrial Techno vs. Rhythm Industrial which provides a 280 second equivalent of total warfare with its cut-up, ground up and squelched bassdrum meets feedback Noize on overdrive attacks accompanied by ear piercing computational bleeps of the sci-fi past. Sick music for even sicker dancefloors.

Martina Bertoni - Music For Empty Flats [Karlrecords 083 Promo]

Released via Karlrecords on January 29th, 2k21 is "Music For Empty Flats", the second full length album outing by Berlin-based cello player and composer Martina Bertoni and her first one created for the label. After extensive work for film and collaborations with the likes of Blixa Bargeld her new seven track longplay effort draws inspiration from a trip to winterly Iceland where she spent quite a bit of time listening to music - alone, in the dark. Coming from this angle and with the intent to further focus on and explore the sonic possibilities of her chosen instrument Bertoni opens with the glistening, yet glacial and slow moving Ambient drone of "Bits" which is an excellent example of how deep low end pulses and washed out, icy atmospheres can compliment eachother in 2k21 whilst "Bright Wood" in all its hovering, ethereal melancholia surely harks back to the artists experience in movie scoring whereas "In Circles Of Thoughts / Blue Ed." redefines Space Ambient and timelessness for another eternity. Furthermore, the title track "Music For Empty Flats" brings forth carefully layered strings and panoramic vibes for balearic sunsets in perfect isolation, "Fearless" fully indulges in dubbed out (Neo)Classical dwellings before "Moving Nature" touches base with doomed, brooding Dark Ambient minimalisms before a single, slow moving cello melody turns the vibe into something hopeful, like a single ray of sunlight breaking through a heavy layer of clouds and "Distant Tropics" adds a stuttering, stripped down and abstract background rhythm sequence hidden deep beneath tender Ambient blurs as a final cut. Deep.

2020 - 1 [2020 Records Promo]

Another well mysterious album release popping up on the digital circuit these days is "1", a 70+ minutes lasting ten track album by 2020 on the obviously artist run label 2020 Records. Opening with "Acid Blues" we're drawn into a world of highly psychedelic, plunderphonic resembling Acid cut-up collage techniques whilst the "Alien Mind Teleportation" device runs on beautifully floating, retrofuturist Ambient drones, "Brain Music 1" provides an extended take on brittle, score'esque and most of all psychoacoustic Sci-Fi Ambient for all fans of b-movie flics and "Cardiac" explores a somewhat percussive, resonating and spaced out Synth / (Neo)Cosmic realm for a change. The albums main piece, the 29 minutes spanning "Chemical Waste", indulges in a glacially moving, well icy Ambient / Deep Listening Music vision before "Das Erwachen" caters more of a claustrophobic, brooding and somewhat nightmare-inducing Cold Ambient vibe and "Hologramm" brings forth hostile, cold and deadly Death Ambient featuring signature respiratory vibes which evoke memories of Dr. NoiseM's 'The CDr A-B-C...' series released several years ago. Furthermore "Lockdown" gets back to retrofuturism and buzzing, scientific electrical drones as well as intense dynamic eruptions whereas "The Creature Is Here" deals with ancient demons creeping up from vantablack caverns hidden within the hollow earth where they've been deep-sleeping from before the beginning of time and the final, concluding cut named "The Wave" waves goodbye in a most intense fashion, overwhelming our senses with 41 seconds of feedback Noize for a closing.

Julian Ross - Fadeaway [Sound In Silence 079]

Released via the Athens / Greece-based imprint Sound In Silence on December 14th, 2k20 is "Fadeaway", the second full length album project by Ambient / PostRock duo Julian Ross and their first album for the label. Originally formed in 2016 the duo presents their latest outing as a 35 minute five track set with the individual track names in succession forming the sentence "Till Death Do Us Part" which is a nice play on words for sure. Musically the groups members Ettore Di Roberto and Andrea Comotto embark on what is most likely is the strangest journey into a musical subset we've seen on the Sound In Silence label so far, a meandering, slightly muffled combination - not: amalgamation - of greycale Ambient atmospheres, various Field Recordings and somewhat erratic, disoriented semi-acoustic Post-PostRock textures in conjunction with highly dynamic, and in parts overly emphasized, low end pulse movements and hollow fragments of beats whilst the final concluding cut "Part" in itself is only the sparse, stripped down skeletal remainder of a full on composition itself. An album pretty much out of phase with the mostly soothing, comforting rest of the labels catalogue and probably the first glimpse on a new genre yet to be identified as Depression PostRock for lost, restless souls aimlessly wandering through a world of virus-induced hyperisolation. Works better on headphones, though.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Ian William Craig & Daniel Lentz - In A Word [RVNG Intl. / Frkwys Promo]

Put out on the circuit on November 20th, 2k20 as a part of the FRKWYS series run by the acclaimed imprint RVNG Intl. is "In A Word", the new collaborational album effort created by composer Daniel Lentz in conjunction with vocalist / sound artist Ian William Craig. Fusing Lentz' approach to post-minimalistic production with Craig's love for wonky, oftentimes only half-functioning technology the outcome is a nine tracks and roughly 43 minutes spanning album which sees the two artists embarking on a well surprising journey into crystalline (Neo)Classical / Contemporary Classical piano etudes, mostly instrumental but partially garnished with bits of Craig's classically trained voice which at points even reaches Opera level heights and dramatic, sometimes mourning expression whilst employing a variety of tape manipulation / tape processing techniques on the final result, leading to a warm organic graininess, a sense of decay, partially muffled or warped single track sequences within a certain composition and a beautiful sense of melancholia and reflectiveness for late night listening sessions. Not necessarily what we'd expected from a RVNG Intl. release but a good and well intimate one anyway, especially if one's a fan of contemporary tape-savvy composers like the Berlin-based Hainbach.

Aaron Spectre - Pulsar

drumcorps · Aaron Spectre - Pulsar

Essential NeoChoppage with a twist of Metal courtesy of our man Aaron Spectre. Athmospheric dancefloor destruction for those who know.

User10005668945 - Da Police EP [User Recordings 022 Promo]

Another fresh one on the ever growing digital catalogue of the User Recordings imprint is "Da Police EP", the new two track single crafted by User10005668945 in quasi anonymity. Opening with the title track "Da Police" we're entering a realm reminiscent of both experimental lo-fi Rave Techno coming out of Belgium throughout the early 90s as well as shriekingly brutal Italian Acid Rave of the same era aiming for an ultimate braincrash whilst the follow up named "Untitled 11" brings forth a wild, untamed take on brutally tripped out ElectroAcid on too much speed for a change.

08.02.2021 baze.djunkiii presents Beyond TechHouse Vol. 12 @ CuttersChoiceRadio / London, UK (1900 GMT+1)

Once again baze.djunkiii is making a, admittedly quite spontaneous, broadcasting return to the program of London-based webradio CuttersChoiceRadio for the first time in 2k21 - this time as a guest mix for a show hosted by station mastermind Benny Fonz. Get ready for a lush 60 minutes selection of (Melodic) TechHouse and well beyond, garnished with bits and bops of Electro towards the end.

Transmission will start at 1800 London time which makes it 1900 GMT+1 for the rest of continental Europe. baze.djunkiii will be locked on to Twitter throughout the mix broadcast so feel free to send tweets and conversations his way!


decks: baze.djunkiii [Intrauterin Recordings]

file under: TechHouse / Electro

transmission starts: 1900 GMT+1

get locked via CuttersChoiceRadio

UK + the global internet

Polychronopoulos / Polymeneas-Liontiris / Pavlopoulos - Widdershins [Room40 Promo]

Put out on the circuit via the Australian staple that is the Room40-label is "Widdershins", the first full on collaborational album created by the triumvirate of Greek artists Spyros Polychronopoulos, Thanos Polymeneas-Liontiris and Iakovos Pavlopoulos which all met and connected whilst living abroad put only started working together in this setting after the three of them all relocated to Athens. The result of this cooperation is "Widdershins", a 49 minutes spanning longplayer catering a menu of seven subsequently named cuts - "Widdershins I" to "Widdershins VII" - exploring a realm of what might be named Industrial Ambient / Industrial PostRock or even Industrial FreeJazz armed with a combination of electronic devices, double bass and a variety of percussions, driven by warped, brooding bass drones, an overall feel of electronic doom, bits of Dark Ambient, fever'ish and well ritualistic Tribal drums, intense layers of atmospheric darkness and other forms of spine-tingling, partly electro-acoustic experimentation. Imagine Muslimgauze having a hyperminimalist love child with a band project like Village Of Savoonga and you might get an idea of what this is all about. Check!

Die Zucht - Heimatlied [Major Label]

Coming at us with with not only one of the best German band names as well as album titles of recent times is the ever active Major Label-imprint which released "Heimatlied" by former GDR / East German-based underground Punk x PostPunk band Die Zucht on November 27th, 2k20. The band, which wasn't allowed to perform under this name under the socialist regime of the early 80s and therefore decided to re-brand as Die Art in 1985, recorded their quasi album debut as Die Zucht a mere 36 years after their initial formation and managed to complete their eleven track firstling despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic hit shortly after recording and production had begun in early 2019. And what a late debut this is, sporting cuts like the super intense, dystopian "Schutt Und Asche" or the leaden, greyscale Metal / Rock crossover anthem "Chrome" whilst the rhythmically intense title cut "Zucht Und Ordnung" keeps the creatures of the night busy on every Wave, Goth and even Batcave dancefloor around in paying homage to dancefloor classics like "She's In Parties" and referencing the former West German terror group RAF / Rote Armee Fraktion. The dramatic follow up "Irrlichter" sounds strangely familiar in its highly successful approach of pulling influences from a variety of large scale 80s classics even though it has never been published before or attempts to directly cover / copycat any of those at any point, "Himmelblauer Reiter" is the musically most Punk-infused cut on the album even though Die Zucht's distinct, obviously UK-inspired, slightly abstract approach to lyrics and songwriting - think: The Fall or The Cult here for most prominent references - somewhat contradicts the straightforward energy of the song, "Manche Tage" seems to pay homage to bands like Fehlfarben in terms of German lyricism, both "Abwärts" and "Nameless Song" are on a high octane Sisters Of Mercy-infused tip vibewise before "Im Spiegel Meiner Träume" adds some silver lining and lightheartedness, at least musically, to a more Wave-leaning closing which is about to resonate well with fans of The Cure for a reason, especially for its dark, yet shimmering melodies. Highly recommended.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Hotel Neon - Moments [Sound In Silence 078]

Coming in from the offices of the Greek Sound In Silence label only recently was "Moments", the December 14th, 2k20 released album created by American Ambient trio Hotel Neon, their sixth longplayer overall and a label debut for the group originally formed in 2k13. Limited to 200 hand-numbered copies the 36 minutes spanning album weighs in a total of seven tracks with each named after a specific day of the year - read: "Nov 2" / "Oct 11" / "Nov 3" / "Oct 12" / "Oct 13" / "Oct 12 No 2" / "Sep 14" - and probably marking the day of each cuts original recording the musical triumvirate ventures off into dense, atmospheric Ambient territories from the get-go, exploring a world of thick, hazy and mostly autumnal, inward-looking textures built from tender swells, carefully manipulated bass drones, washed out melodies as well as a somewhat timeless - or time-defying - Ambient Shoegaze attitude which reaches a most beautiful height in the brittle, yet all embracing "Nov 3" whereas the follow up "Oct 12" indulges in surface noise covered vintage melancholia noir and "Oct 12 No 2" provides a warm, comforting blanket of sound throughout icy winter nights just to name a few. Top drawer for all real Ambient heads.

P.T.B.S. - No Compromise in My House *The D3VI7 Remix

P.T.B.S. · No Compromise in My House

Well, we see where this is coming from and where this is going to end. Is there an ultimate NeoGabba revival incoming for 2k21 ?

Sascha Müller - Traxxx Vol. 33 [SM Traxxx 56-2021]

Scheduled for release on February 18th, 2k21 is "Traxxx Vol. 33", the next one in an ongoing monthly series of digital single releases produced by Sascha Müller for the SM Traxxx label. Opening with "Track 65" we see the Uelsen-based producer on a dry, dynamically questionable yet highly hypnotic, spiralling and oldskool'ish Acid tip for those who loved the raw energy provided by labels like Force Inc. Music Works in their early days whilst "Track 66", the second cut on this release, is more of a bubbly and hounded affair which keeps its modulations on a fast-paced, slowly intensifying midrange level with loads of highly detailed background percussion changes and additional, multi-dimensional layers to discover for a well alert listener bouncing up and down on fired up dancefloors.

The Touchables - Svart / Hvitt [Conrad Sound]

Put on the circuit via Oslo / Norway-based imprint Conrad Sound on December 4th, 2k20 is "Svart / Hvitt", the sophomore album effort created by the multi-membered group named The Touchables which includes a plethora of artists from the countries Jazz and Contemporary Music scene with at least one of its members - Martin Taxt - being a household name to readers of these pages for his deep explorations of microtonal tuba performances. Split in four subsequently numbered, unnamed parts and stretched over the course of 52 minutes the project, founded as a sort of chamber orchestra focusing on playing less recognized instruments, explores an intense, low end-centric, brooding and surely well unsettling maelstrom of sound created from a pool of sound sources including octobass, double bass, flute, bassoon, bass trombone, piccoletto violin and many more, partly accompanied by thundering drum hits and other intense, well ominous dynamic events, partly by - or even solely comprised of - scrapings and movements caused by the sole handling of the instruments alone whilst other sequences resemble the sound of WWII stuka attacks and shrieking anti-aircraft sirens, sometimes disappear into the deepest, most haunted and only barely audible regions of the sonic spectrum like a hyper-atmospheric, highly intense score for outerworldy, metaphysical horrors yet to appear in this human reality or even provide a dark'ish, slowly meandering stream of Drone Ambient goodness. There's quite a lot going on within The Touchables' first ever commissioned piece "Svart Hvitt" which is dating back to the year 2k15 in its original form. Deep Listening Music for today's Contemporary Classical / Modern Classical informed avantgarde.

Album artwork on Instagram!

baze.djunkiii Charts 02/2k21

01. Various Artists - Innate 004 [Innate 004]
The UK-based Innate label is back with their fourth 12" vinyl instalment, bringing forth a four track selection of cuts crafted and brewed by the likes of Aroy Dee, Gilbert, Jonski and DJ Guy which once again showcases why the label is held in high regards by many as one of the main purveyors of finest Electro, Armchair Techno and Intelligent Techno since its launch back in 2018. 100% quality.

02. Kuldaboli - Milljon Ara Em Held Mer Ungum [Bunker / Darknet 001]
Bunker / Darknet. Not only might this be one of the best ever names for a label we've seen popping up in a while but also the four tracks cooked up by Reykjavik-based producer Kuldaboli provide exactly what one might expect to find on an offshoot / side-imprint of The Hague's Bunker Records, a storming, captivating and well raw take on the Electro genre including thrilling, oftentimes slightly off-kilter melodies as well as hints of distorted compression resulting from analogue gear in absolute overdrive mode. Great stuff.

03. Various Artists - Electronic Mutations From Beyond [Defective Records 032]
A fascinating journey into the back catalague of the Baltimore-based label Defective Records which released a staggering thirty 12" singles between 1994 and 1998, pioneering a deep, hypnotic and oftentimes also experimental approach to Techno and a lot of its derivatives which is fully reflected on this one, starting from the HypnoAcid / Intelligent Techno vibe of Mike Parker's "Resonator" via the complex polyrhythms of DJ Who's "PB4UGO2BED" to fast-paced Breakbeat / IDM action to be found in "Koishi" by Cyber Complex as well as other tunes created by the likes of O.H.M., Solar X, Glitch, Pure Gamma and Telekinetic Soulmate, all being re-introduced to a new generation of DJ's and punters through this recommended compilation which also might spark an interest in graphic designers due to its distinct cover artwork.

04. Various Artists - The Versus Series Vol. 02 [Afflicted In Techno]
See review for details...

05. Tagliabue - Ultraterreno EP [Lustpoderosa 008]
Usually it'd hardly ever happen that I'd buy a record just for the sole fact of its cover artwork being amazing yet the artwork of Tagliabue's latest EP crafted for Swiss-based imprint Lustpoderosa is equally fascinating, unique, tripping and outstandingly mesmerizing it would've been enough to add this one to the collection. Yet, luckily the musical content provides quality as well with five tracks meandering between Berlin School-infused Synth and (Neo)Cosmic, Deep Listening Music, IDM, floating ChillOut and Slow Motion Armchair Techno for those who know and therefore will find their way into deeper, more laid back sets of mine in the future.

06. Unknown Artist - Butter Notes [BUTTER 001]
A probably highly unofficial collection of dirty, oftentimes Breakbeat-driven Baltimore Club tracks seemingly ripped from a 2001-released vinyl compilation focusing on all female Baltimore Club artists. Raw as things can get and with the pitch adjust going up to +6% or higher a well interesting collection of tools to make your GhettoBass or Chicago Basement sets more interesting.

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Dr. NoiseM - Studio Works 34 [Dr. NoiseM Tapes]

The mysterious, elusive Noize maker that is Dr. NoiseM finally makes a return to the release circuit with "Studio Works 34", the latest sequel to his ongoing 'Studio Works' series which comes at us with six brand new tracks and an extended runtime of 76 minutes in total. Opening with "My Noise Is Bigger Than Yours" the Dr. does not only make a bold statement but also unleashes a surprisingly harmonic, partly even ethereal Noize beast which would be well functional as a score for a dystopian sci-fi short film lasting around 10 minutes whereas the follow up "Strange Bastard" represents the violent grindings of a tortured pneumatic drill on overdrive mode and "Bold System" weighs an extended, hypnotic ebb and flow of distorted, yet comfortingly harmonic Noize feedbacks which - stretched out over 18+ minutes in this track - do have a soothing, somewhat even sleep inducing effect to those listeners highly experienced in exploring musical extremes. Furthermore "Brain Music 2" presents a pulsating take on deep Sci-Fi Ambient weighing in somewhat of a Dark Star'esque attitude for movie buffs and fans of early John Carpenter scores, "Chaos Bold" is, hence the name, a semi-chaotic 27 minutes lasting maelstrom of vantablack Noize magma and the "Man In Space" indulges in a well psychedelic, tripped out Ambient Noize melange with a caleidoscopic hippie twist for a closing.

Listen Again: baze.djunkiii presents Freak Beats For Dark Rooms Volume 1 @ Radio Flouka / Paris, France (28.01.2k21)

Radio Flouka راديو فلوكة · baze.djunkiii : Freak Beats For Dark Rooms vol1 - 28/01/2021