MadLine - Empty Soul *Thallie Ann Seenyen ReThink

MadLine · MadLine - Empty Soul (Thallie Ann Seenyen ReThink)

That's a tight little tune there. And probably one of the best Drum'n'Bass vocal cuts we've come across in a while. Go check.

Frode Haltli - Avant Folk II [Hubro Music]

Released on April 23rd, 2k21 via Hubro Music / Norway is Frode Haltli's "Avant Folk II", the successor to his 2018 album of the same name which we've also reviewed on these pages back in the days. Once again more or less centered around the distinct sound of the hardanger fiddle as well as accordion as lead instruments and brought to life through an approach of learning and remembering the phrasing and overall sound of the compositions on this album by ear and without any notation the album opens on a dense, maritime, yet uplifting note with "Doggerland" before taking a distinct turn mid-track, following a path of spatial electronic background textures and playful, explorative and more Jazz leaning micromotifs for a while before returning to its original vibe. The following "Nordly" dives deep into seas of tender, beautiful, yet minimalist melancholia, "Gravberget" lives off of tenderly plucked violin strings and an attitude of formal Folk dancing before drifting off into realms highly influenced by what might be identified as free-floating Psychedelic Rock  whereas "I Østen Som I Vesten (All Over The Place)" waves goodbye presenting a well surprising hint of somewhat Oriental vibes alongside more Psychedelic electric guitar solos and a tripping Improv climax for closing.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Samba Toure - Binga [Glitterbeat Records]

Released via Glitterbeat Records on April 9th, 2k21 is "Binga", the latest album outing created by renowned Malian singer and guitar player Samba Toure who once again bears the torch for the rich culture and vast history of the Songhoy people, introducing their music and songs to the world from his hometown of Binga, namesake and name-bearing birthplace of this nine tracks spanning longplayer which is his fourth for the label and still a first as it is completely sung in the Songhoy language as well. This lyricism, mostly dealing with social, socio-economical and political issues in and the general state of disrepair of the nation of Mali, backed by a stripped down combination of guitar, calabash, ngoni and some bits of harmonica shimmering through every now and then amalgamates an unbroken, unaltered musical tradition harking back more than 500 years and even further with contemporary realism and modern world topics, bringing forth a well fascinating, beautiful and twangy variation of what once was the original blueprint for what one might refer to as DesertBlues today - the sound of the Songhoy people. Highly recommended, not only for collectors and fans of African or so-called World Music with the deep, laid back "Instrumental", the well Blues-heavy "Fondo" and "Adounya" which seems to stay true to the patterns and rhythmic structures of traditional African work songs being our personal favorites on this one. Check.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Julius Eastman - Femenine: Performed By Ensemble 0 [Sub Rosa 501]

Put out on the circuit via the long standing imprint that is Sub Rosa on March 26th, 2k21 is Julius Eastman's "Femenine", performed and executed by experimental project Ensemble 0 three decades after his tragic and untimely death in 1990 at only 50 years of age. As one of the few African-American composers Eastman gained recognition and a certain notoriety within New York's Avantgarde and Experimental Music circles of his time, yet was never as embraced as much as some of his way better known contemporaries. With their 71 minutes take on "Femenine" Ensemble 0 honor and reinterprete Eastman's composition and achievements for a new contemporary audience, providing a beautiful and well enchanting take on this piece that, first and foremost, is played on real life instruments despite a layer of ever morphing, swampy, warped electronic low end movements being present throughout most of the recording. This said "Femenine" is a well repetetive piece with its main motif being layered and slowly altered over the course of many repetetion cycles and carefully intertwined melodic layerings, in parts dabbling with compositional techniques probably derived from Dub, especially when it comes to the brass section of the ensemble, whilst clearly and most certainly coming from an angle and approach highly influenced by Minimal Music despite its rich tonality and harmonies which are also innate to other masterpieces of this genre like Manuel Göttsching's "E2-E4" which unintentionally have exceeded the confined realm of academia or avantgarde circles they never were meant for in the first place. This said, some might even file "Femenine" under the flag of ProtoAmbient or Balearic whilst others might be more comfortable with a classification as Modern Classical / Contemporary Classical music. But no matter what your take on this question is - there's absolutely no doubt that this album and original composition are absolutely timeless and deserve to become canon in the ever growing list of essential albums each and every musical connaisseur need to add to their collection. Instant classic.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Sascha Müller - Traxxx Vol. 36 [SM Traxxx 59-2021 Promo]

Scheduled for release on the digital circuit on May 20th, 2k21 is "Traxxx Vol. 36", the latest in an ongoing series of monthly singles crafted by Sascha Müller for the SM Traxxx label. Opening with "Track 71" we see Uelsen's finest cater a slightly hollow, dubbed out variation of Acid / AcidTrance for the trippier sonic excursions of a night out the before "Track 72" rounds things off on a beautifully cascading, shimmering AcidTrance tip which surely brings back the summer of 1994 for many of the oldskool ravers amongst us and therefore is our favorite cut on this one.

Listen Again: baze.djunkiii presents Nacht Aus Beton Volume 1 @ Radio Flouka / Paris, France (22.04.2k21)

Radio Flouka راديو فلوكة · Nacht Aus Beton Volume 1 with baze.djunkiii - 22/04/2021

Brüssel / Gratkowski / Ohlmeier / Seidel - TOC [Umland Records 039]

Presumably to be released via Umland Records in late spring, 2k21 as their cat.no. 039 is "TOC", the first full length outing by this new group led by Cologne-based (Free)Jazz violonist Julia Brüssel and Wolfgang Seidel, founding member of famed German Punk band Ton Steine Scherben. Sculpted and brought to life in various sessions with the outfits additional members Lothar Ohlmeier and Frank Gratkowski "TOC" - short for: table of contents - caters a 46 minutes spanning journey in twelve individual parts which are sporting oftentimes quite tongue-in-cheek titles like "Kottbusser Toc", "Toctophon" and "High Toc" amongst others, bearing witness of the free and playful approach to a fusion of (Free)Jazz and Avantgarde-leaning electronics resulting in pieces like the score'esque, film noir fitting opener "To Come To" and its highly atmospheric successor that is "Tocotrienole" which, in its precisely executed minimalism, likely makes one forget that it's indeed a live improv affair and not a studio produced, digitally arranged album whilst "Toccata" takes improvised Jazz Noir to a new, spine-tingling level, "Atocha" pleases all fans and followers of elegic, and somewhat Italian-sounding, melodies in Classical music, "Slow Toc" gives off the outerworldliest, most creepy vibe and would be well suitable to be used scorewise in late night fake horror x mystery shows for several reasons whilst "Toctally" applies the idea of bustling, busy and playful FreeJazz to a more Classical leaning sound setting just to name a few. Avantgarde Music for those who know and once again a further step for the Umland Records label into previously widely unchartered territories.

Luise Volkmann & LEONEsauvage - Dreams To Come [Umland Records 041]

Set to be released via Essen / Germany-based label Umland Records as their cat.no. 041 on May 21st, 2k21 is "Dreams To Come", the new longplay effort by Luise Volkmann & LEONEsauvage. Initially initiated by Cologne-based sax player x composer Luise Volkmann in 2k16 as a reaction to the well harsh urban social environment she experienced in Paris the mostly FreeJazz- / Improv-leaning project has undergone several changes and evolutionary steps within the five years that have passed since it came to be, now culminating in a seven tracks and roughly 43 minutes spanning journey that perfectly reflects the truly international roots and approach of the ensemble with its members originating from various parts of the world, each bringing new ideas and innate cultural implementations to the table. This said, we find African and Latin-leaning rhythm signatures, Tribal chants, dramatic stage pieces that could well be transported into the now from the golden era of Broadway performances and x or early feature films ("Preacher"), Dope Beats, screaming, over the top sax improvisations as well as fascinating piano rides, action-fueled score arrangements plus, a well usual feat for a project of this nature, a good portion of vocals drawing influences from somewhat Alt- or Psychedelic Rock-infused scenes as well as classic Jazz and Broadway stage pieces, Spoken Word, ancient Nordic Commune Folk / work songs and even hints of protest chants, all falling together in a well dramatic way that needs to be at least heard once by every genre connaisseur - and many folks beyond that specific realm - for a reason. Proper good. Check.

Album artwork on Instagram!

NO MORE - W.K.V.B.Z.: Sketches Of An Imaginary Soundtrack [self-released]

Put on the circuit earlier this year by German PostPunk- / (No)Wave-legends NO MORE as a special DIY art release is their latest, and well cryptically named, album "W.K.V.B.Z.: Sketches Of An Imaginary Soundtrack" - an extended, 22 songs spanning longplayer exclusively available via the bands Bandcamp page. With no clue given about the meaning or origin of the titles inscrutable abbreviation we see NO MORE exploring a sonic sphere that could be turned into a proper score / soundtrack indeed, starting with the tense, brooding and score'esque (Neo)Classical / Synth fusion that is the "WKVBZ Theme", followed by the elegic instrumental "On The Rooftop" which evokes fond memories of Eyeless in Gaza's 1981-released longplayer "Caught In Flux" whereas pieces like "D. Shoots Up" bring forth fascinating greyscale riddims and haunted atmospheres, "Die Clique" dabbles in dreamy, surprisingly AOR- / Yacht-leaning sundown vibes whereas "Drifters In The Night" draws all frill-clad creatures of the night onto sparsely lit underground dancefloors, "Subway To The Stars" harks back to the days of early Cosmic Synth and Berlin School for a mere 75 seconds, "A Night At The Zoo" defo will speak to fans and collectors of Ambient and advanced IDM / ChillOut - think FSOL once again - and "Le Beat De Coeur" weighs in some banging electronic beats, driving Moroder basslines and ProtoTrance-like melodic layers for all the ravers and clubheads just to name a few. The most essential, mostly instrumental and mostly PostPunk-leaning album you'll find on the scene this year. Get.

25.04.2k21 baze.djunkiii presents Deep Exposure Volume 1 @ Radio alHara / Betlehem, Palestine

Imagine Germany in the first half of the 90s. The days before the internet. Electronic music is on the rise, yet information is hard to come by and acquiring such equals endless hours spent in local recordstores, skimming through crates, hunting for bits and pieces and missing links and most of all: the latest, previously unheard manifestations of a scene still in search for sonic boundaries, in search for a new music. Now picture a young baze.djunkiii, a few years before picking up the art of dj'ing himself, a teenage raver, junglist and hardcore head doing exactly this – hunting down new sounds in his hometown of Hamburg, stumbling upon things in the quirkier, more leftfield sections of a record shop. A strange music, certainly not made for dancefloors and even more certainly not suitable for the Ambient x ChillOut floors well common in clubs at the time. The atmospheres are dark and brooding, with ominous drones, Industrial- / dark futurism-leaning aesthetic and ever meandering structures speaking to the innermost mind and subconscious of this young music head, immediately sparking an interest in these highly experimental sounds, oftentimes even bordering what many people would consider to be 'music' in the first place. This 100% vinyl mix is a reflection of this long lasting fascination with electronic music for the mind, a deep listening soundscape working its way from Dark Ambient / Isolationist Ambient to long time forgotten favorites in terms of abstract, complex Electronica grooves and way beyond. Enjoy the ride.

decks: baze.djunkiii [Intrauterin Recordings]

file under: Drone / Dark Ambient / Electronica

transmission time: 23.59 Betlehem time / 00.59 GMT+1

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Betlehem, Palestine

Slina - 42'00'' [Gusstaff Records]

Scheduled for release via Gusstaff Records of Poland on April 30th, 2k21 is "42'00''", the sophomore longplay outing for the Improv quartet that is Slina. Combining the sounds of saxophone, drums, guitar, double bass and electronic sources in three extended pieces which are all named after their respective total play times the group is exploring a krautsy, ever meandering realm somewhat located in the misty grey area where genres like Post-PostRock, Ambient naturalism and Indietronics fuse, melt and overlap, providing a deliberately blurred, mostly textural sonic experience, a viscid stream of audible information - sometimes hyper-loaded and energetic, sometimes more chill and comforting - that can be best described as an imaginery love child of Aosuke, Nuel, most recent Bad Stream and subdued FreeJazz partly, and especially in "13'00''", raised by the thundering drums of Black Metal or Drone Doom whereas the subsequent "14'00''" goes down a deeper, more dubbed out and somewhat psychoactive lane fore a closing. If these projects and genres do speak to you in volumes and are both a regular part of your listening habits as well as a vocabulary you might well want to check out "42'00''" for a reason.

Digitalism - JPEG [Magnetism Testpress]

Scheduled for release via their own Magnetism label on May 25th, 2k21 is "JPEG", the new - and fourth - full length album outing by Jens 'Jence' Moelle and Ismail 'Isi' Tüfekci, better known to their worldwide fanbase of electronic music / IndieElectro lovers under their shared alias that is Digitalism. Coming at us with a whole range of 15 tracks spread out over 2LP format the Hamburg-based duo caters a full on journey through their musical spectrum from the well SynthPop-infused neon glow of title track "JPEG" which surely will resonate with fans of Kavinsky's "Nightcall" for a reason whilst bits like "Disc_404" are GhettoBass / Baltimore Club infused club bangers, cuts like "Wish I Was There" and "Knight Life" are 4-2-the-floor fodder for large scale festival stages around the world, "Olympia" harks back to the high octane days of FilterHouse x NuRave crossovers, "Infinity" evokes memories of the blurred, hazy ElectroPop x SynthPop vision once catered by the likes of Rangleklods whilst dabbling with SlowHouse / NuDisco at the same time, the guitar-driven "No Data" as well as the dreamy "No Holiday" cater to the needs of Indie / IndieElectro audiences all over the globe, "Voltage" brings on hard hitting peaktime RoboPhonk and with "Data Gardens" we even get a beatless Synth / Ambient skit to round things off, just to name a few. And with a lot of songs sticking close to or even under the radio-friendly 3:00 minutes mark we'd say that some daytime airplay is guaranteed whilst this song format pleases the short attention span of streaming generation as well. Nice.

Trojan Panda - Peau [Carton Records 014]

Put out on the circuit as cat.no. 014 of the Lyon / France-based label Carton Records is "Peau", the new, seven tracks and roughly 50 minutes spanning album by five piece outfit Trojan Panda which is centered around Jozef Dumoulin's idea to combine a 70s Alternative Rock touch with the vibe of Jazz- and otherwise classically trained musicians playing instruments they're not necessarily well versed in. Following this approach over the course of the past five years Trojan Panda fuses the sound of three guitars with bass and drums on this longplayer, resulting in an atmospherically dense, ever meandering flow of greyscale'ish desolation PostRock - think: Village Of Savoonga -, paired with echoes of echoes of dubbed out Industrial vibes, the artschool-leaning distortions and feedbacks that were also prevalent in Germany's famed Ingenious Dilletantes-movement which, especially in a cut like "Sylvie Coiffure", seem to be harking back to the era of Psychedelic Rock indeed, yet present more of a very singular and unique angle on improvisational guitar music, sitting in a timeless drawer of its own which is yet to be named but defo is speaking to followers of darkest and most experimental (No)Wave, PostPunk and abstract  Hardcore from the cold war- / iron curtain-era alike. Quite a trip, this. Check.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Erlend Apneseth Trio - Lokk [Hubro Music]

Fresh on the ever active Norwegian imprint Hubro Music is "Lokk", the latest album outing by the famed Erlend Apneseth Trio. Released on March 12th, 2k21 the musical three piece led by fiddle player Erlend Apneseth caters a set of nine new compositions spread over the course of roughly 37 minutes with this release, pairing their mostly acoustic roots in what might be filed under the flag of Nordic Folk with a heavy dose of electronic components and riddims, resulting in a fascinatingly unique take on Global Bass in tunes like "Impendans", a cut one could easily imagine to be a part of the Ninja Tune catalogue as well, whilst "Slekter" seems to fuse the vibe of ancient formal dances with what seems to be a Tribal-infused beat foundation, "Linjer" explores a deeper, more listening oriented realm, evoking blurred memories of some works by the likes of FSOL, "Vake" dabbles with 60 second of pure Ambient goodness and the subsequent title track "Lokk" fully harks back to what might be a snapshot scene of medieval folklore, even despite the tender electronic textures to be found in this tune as well just to name a few. Recommended.

Album artwork on Instagram!

22.04.2021 baze.djunkiii presents Nacht Aus Beton Volume 1 @ Radio Flouka / Paris (2100 GMT+1)

„Nacht Aus Beton“ used to be a monthly Tuesday-night session Radio Flouka-resident baze.djunkiii set up at the former Meanie Bar, an offshoot of Hamburg's famed Indie-venue Molotow, straight at the heart of the cities redlight district. Branching out from and exploring beyond the boundaries of electronic music the „Nacht Aus Beton“ events were dedicated to all things PostPunk, (No)Wave, Indie, ElectroPunk, NuBeat, IndieElectro, Industrial and beyond with a skill set of an electronic music-focused DJ applied to the selection and, of course, mixing. This special show pays homage to the now longtime defunct „Nacht Aus Beton“-series, opening with a remix baze.djunkiii and Herr Brandt, founding member of bands like The Convent and Sonnenbrandt, crafted for German PostPunk / Wave-legends NO MORE which was released in 2019 as a limited to 200 copies vinyl single on El Caballo Semental, a sister label to baze.djunkiii's very own Intrauterin Recordings imprint.

decks: baze.djunkiii [Intrauterin Recordings]

file under: PostPunk / (No)Wave / SynthPop / IndieElectro

transmission time: 21oo - 22oo GMT+1

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Paris

Todd Anderson-Kunert - You Promised [Room40 Promo]

Recently released via the Australian imprint Room40 on April 9th, 2k21 is "You Promised", the latest album outing created by Castlemaine-based producer and composer Todd Anderson-Kunert. Split into two bigger pieces, the four part composition "Taken" followed by the three parts of "Given", Anderson-Kunert's 31 minutes and 31 seconds spanning release explores a deep, ruminant path in terms of sonic minimalism, starting out with a sequence of harmonic tone pulses accompanied by spatial, voluminous, well comforting and somewhat womb-like low end movements which, overall, do not follow a specific time signature but, instead, monolithically float and hover beyond any known definition of space and time like a secluded sculpture, a microverse of sound and existence, a meditative realm that - in its second half - even introduces a more playful, tender and very carefully arranged approach towards most beautiful, nightly and minimalist Piano Ambient for lovers - yet well without the kitsch aspect that often comes, or at least is generally associated, with this style. Good stuff.

The D3VI7 - Amazonas [Eyes Wide Open Records 001]

Coming in via mail straight from the studios of The D3VI7 himself is "Amazonas", the first 10" lathe cut release put on the circuit via the new imprint Eyes Wide Open Records as their cat.no. 001. With the A-side "Amazonas" the ever active producer caters a surprisingly deep take on slowly evolving slow motion DubTechno for extended late night sessions and after hour sets whilst "Feeling" on the flip surprisingly presents more of a stripped down Minimal Techno vibe garnished with a bit of a floating, dubbed out vibe as well. Quite an unusual release for The D3VI7, we'd say.

Richard Chartier - Interreferences [Room40 Promo]

Another new album released by Australian imprint Room40 on March 29th, 2k21 is Richard Chartier's "Interreferences" - not: interferences ! -, a six pieces and roughly 58 minutes spanning longplay affair which once again sees the long standing artist exploring the realm of ultraminimalism in electronic composition. With all pieces named "Interreference. (add number here)", yet not being subsequently numbered, the LA-based composer provides a calm, near static yet ever so slowly evolving take on Drone-infused Deep Listening Music, partly infused with a feel of deserted atmospheric desolation and an explorative approach towards carefully arranged, yet speaker shaking low end pulses which provide a more powerful, ground shaking impact than most releases and compositions to be found within this specific field. If you're fond of and familiar with the works of artists like Francisco Lopez, Daniel Menche, Tarkatak and likeminded composers this album shall be a worthwhile addition to your collection for a reason. Check.

Mauro Gargano - Feed [Diggin Music Prod / Puglia Sounds]

Coming in via mail from Italy only recently is "Feed", the latest album outing created by Italian-born and France-based double bass player Mauro Gargano which has been developed and brought to life alongside percussionist Christophe Mauguet and pianist Alessandro Sgobbio after Gargano had begun to explore 'new' music beyond his traditional field, including electronic sounds and particularly Techno amongst many other styles. The result of this collaborational exploration, set for release on May 7th, 2k21 via Diggin Music Prod / Puglia Sounds, is this album, spanning a total of eight cuts and a playtime of roughly 48 minutes within which the trio is following the outlines of Jazz as genre, mostly on a nightly note and reminiscent of hazy, smoke-filled underground cocktail and whisky spots whilst incorporating structures and build-ups partially reminiscent of intertwined, corresponding elements and motifs found on the more melodic side of Detroit Techno, meandering piano elegies travelling from tender tones to most ecstatic heights, complex, yet somewhat subdued drumming often placed in the far background of the mix whilst bits like "Keep Distance" are focusing on the beauty and melancholia found in a more stripped down, inward looking (Future)Jazz approach for rainy Sunday afternoons spent in isolation or even dive deep down into territories of full-on late night romanticism in pieces like "Look Beyond The Window" before the tune takes a slightly darker, more dramatic and finally thundering, uptempo leaning and synth-lead turn to take this one cut as a single reference point for the overall complexity of this longplayer.

Aniyo Kore - Alkaline Herbs [Sweepland Records]

Coming in straight from the vaults of Dortmund's Aniyo Kore and the office of the Sweepland Records label is "Alkaline Herbs", the latest album release put out by the band outfit who's marking their 10 years anniversary with this one. Also "Alkaline Herbs", which is only available as a limited to 100 copies tape edition at this point in time, marks the former duos ongoing musical transformation over the years, now resulting in a further extention of the line-up into a fully fledged trio backed by a female drummer. This said, "Alkaline Herbs" reflects this progress and evolution by featuring a set of eight cuts - with some of them being re-recordings of classics like "What A Night" or "Remedy", re-arranged or re-shaped to fit Aniyo Kore's new musical direction, touching base with heavy Stoner Rock, Sludge, Desert- and Psychedelic Rock, echoes of Americana, extended, oftentimes distorted guitar solos and thundering drums which might resonate with authentic hardcore Metal heads even though the bands ethereal, longing and crystal clear vocal approach remains untouched and unaltered despite the musical backing has changed with energetic pieces like the somewhat Chemical Breaks-infused "Muscle Memories" or even the more funky, uplifting take on "What A Night" calling for heavy mosh pit action. So we wouldn't be surprised to see fans of bands like Wolves In The Throne Room, The Hidden Hand or labels like Exile On Mainstream in the audience whenever Aniyo Kore are about to play again in post-pandemic times.

Takuma Watanabe - Last Afternoon [Constructive Promo]

Scheduled for release on May 7th, 2k21 via the new imprint Constructive, a sister label to SN Variations, is "Last Afternoon" which is the album debut created by Japanese composer Takuma Watanabe who's serving an eight tracks and roughly 31 minutes spanning firstling influenced by experimentation and his work on music for film. This said, Watanabe is pairing altered, spatial and partly processed string sounds, once again a reference to his compositional approach to film music, with highly digital, oftentimes dry and ominous electronic low end rumblings in the not so tactile opening piece "Tactile", is drifting into hazy, brittle and classical Ambient worlds with the subsequent "Wavelength" whereas the title track "Last Afternoon" presents an amalgamation of icy, subtle and crisp electronic textures and score'esque (Neo)Classical string and piano layers whilst "Text" successfully tackles the idea to recreate the innocence and naturalistic beauty of stripped down ancient Folk songs electronically, and with slightly abstract lyricism. Furthermore "Siesta" follows on a similarly atmospheric, yet misty path, lured in by the tales of yore, "Looming" is like a warm, comforting blanket with its tender pianos and seemingly re-arranged Found Sounds / Field Recordings, "Clouds Fall" utilizes minimal, electronically accompanied string composition in a way that reminds us of an imaginary love child of Ekkehard Ehlers, M. Behrens and Wolfgang Voigt when it comes to their approach towards (Neo)Classical structures before the final cut that is "Bruges" waves goodbye in a well melancholia-infused Ambient manner - coming at us in waves, indeed.

Barbara Ellison - Cybersongs [Unsounds 067]

Released via the ever active Unsounds label as their cat.no. 067 on March 15th, 2k21 is "Cybersongs", the latest album outing created by composer x conceptualist Barbara Ellison and her new approach on transhuman vocalization, voice avatars as well as the use of TTS / text-to-speech synthesis within a musical context. Defined by the artist as a 'transhuman song cycle for human-like computer voices' the longplay piece in itself is comprised of thirteen tracks - varying in length from under 2 to up to 16 minutes of total playtime each, presenting an intense array of un-songs, eerie, hyper abstract and indecipherable sequences of cut up, digitally created syllables in various accents and somewhat familiar sounding transmissions, yet utterly non-sensical and probably not even belonging to an existing language, various vocal implementations speaking in tongues or uttering full-on gibberish, communication attempts launched by beings from a cyberworld, all accompanied by even more alien - or alienating - electronic backings including bits of Cold Ambient, a gallopping and somewhat TribeTekno-reminiscent sequence in "Periodemesh", slightly unnerving, piano-driven CyberJazz loops in "Knullaleague" or swampy, spine-tingling atmospheres evoking pictures of hostile, alien exoplanets covered in acidic mists, solemn IDM / ChillOut structures, brooding, thundering (Neo)Classical loops, Plunderphonics-references and more musical greatness. 100% computer generated Avantgarde Music. A fascinating and highly recommended trip into a cold, cyberdelic world, yet not an easy ride for the faint hearted. Get.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Luxus für Alle #10: After Hours Superstrobe by baze.djunkiii (100% vinyl)

Krank Aber Freundlich · Luxus für Alle #10: After Hours Superstrobe by baze.djunkiii (100% vinyl)

Marta Forsberg - Tkac [Thanatosis Produktion Promo]

Another one put out on the circuit only recently via Thanatosis Produktion is "Tkac", the latest album outing created by Swedish-Polish producer x composer Marta Forsberg. Released on March 26th, 2k21 the longplay piece consists of two extended compositions - "LED And Love Sounds" as well as the subsequent "Weave And Dream" which are both clocking in at approximately 22 minutes playtime each and were, this goes for both cuts as well, originally recorded back in spring of 2015 and are operating within a realm of Drone minimalism. Whilst the first cut derives its brittle, vibrating and harmonic, yet somewhat otherworldly sound from reprocessed and, according to the accompanying press sheet, 'frozen' violin sounds which, even though slowly moving, totally defy the concept of space and time whilst even displaying a surprising hint of Cosmic / Berlin School vibes after minute 15 passes whereas the second piece, "Weave And Dream", goes down a more alarming and certainly more intense alley with its raw, somewhat Noize-bordering OP-1 drones which immediately set all listeners senses to high alert, providing a great, yet demanding listening experience, slowly drilling down to one's innermost core even at moments of near silence. Top notch. A winner, this.

The Jazzfakers - Little Water Radio Recordings [Alrealon Musique 096 Promo]

Put out on the circuit via the highly eclectic imprint that is Alrealon Musique on March 15th, 2k21 is "Little Water Radio Recordings", the latest nine track album by the notorious, ever active band outift known as The Jazzfakers. Recorded live in June, 2k16 at New York's now defunct live venue Little Water Radio the 58 minutes and 58 seconds spanning selection of tracks sees The Jazzfakers on an explorative, multi-layered and multi-faceted journey, once again operating along the blurred lines of what can be described as advanced / elevated Jazz, pairing sluggish, desolate and strangely delayed greyscale rhythm signatures with longing, later ecstatic sax lines in the opening piece "Five Dashes I Say Once Again" whilst cuts like "Voice Rapid Dots Irdial" incorporate eerie electronics alongside subdued but rattling drums and what seem to be echoes of highly abstract Funk licks to a hard to grasp, yet well fascinating effect, "NNN" brings forth a nerve-wrecking, ear-piercing and partly high frequency focused take on unnerving, unsettling FreeJazz / Improv and the final "Exotic Cipher" indulges in a well intense fusion of FreeJazz piano / organ improv and unidentified, yet drilling high frequency electronics and beyond - even paying homage to 'Dr. Who' at a certain point - just to name a few. The Jazzfakers are not faking Jazz in this session. Rather they're redefining what the genres boundaries are, expanding those into yet uncharted territories. Highly eclectic, yet defo worth repeated listening sessions to take each and every aspect of this live performance in in full. Check.

Alan Licht - A Symphony Strikes The Moment You Arrive [Room40 Promo]

Scheduled for release on April 16th, 2k21 via Australia's ever active Room40-imprint is "A Symphony Strikes The Moment You Arrive", the last album by composer, musician and performer Adam Licht which is comprised of two extended pieces - the title track "A Symphony Strikes The Moment You Arrive" and "Room For Storms" alongside their respective radio edits. Whilst the first cut harks back to a live performance at PA's Lounge in Cambridge, MA back in January 2008 with its intense, harsh, cold and metallic sounding midrange droning and ever escalating feedback Noize in combination with cut up, obscured FM radio transmissions that's certainly about to drive your neighbours crazy within minutes when enjoyed at a certain volume on a proper stereo system whereas the second cut is a live recording from October, 2012 at East River Parl Bandshell, NYC, which provides a well contrasting atmosphere with its blurred, ever meandering, chill, somewhat futuristic and not necessarily comforting take on densely layered Ambient which evokes memories of genre milestones like Scanner's "Mass Observation 3" before working its way towards an astoundingly harmonic, yet nerve-wreckingly intense crescendo of sorts. Highly recommended.

J/L Duo featuring Adrian Knight & Frew Elfineh Taha - Ismalfa [Thanatosis Produktion Promo]

Put out on the circuit via the highly experimental imprint Thanatosis Produktion on April 9th, 2k21 is "Ismalfa", the new eight track album outing catered by Johan Jutterström and Andreas Hiroui Larsson under their shared conjunctional moniker that is J/L Duo, collaborating with composer and piano player Adrian Knight on the first four tracks of the album whilst working with Spoken Word artist Frew Elfineh Taha on two others as well as contributing two single duo tracks, fully focusing on their instruments of choice - drums, cymbals and saxophones. Roughly operating under and pushing forward the rough premises of acoustic Jazz / Improv we see the J/L Duo providing the most organic, probably most comforting and - speaking in mainstream terms here - relatable, most musical album released on the label so far, proving a sense of decency and nightliness in their classy, ever meandering musical improvisations which are, overall, wandering a path of musicality and harmonic interaction, spinning a masterfully woven, ever evolving sonic web following unspoken, yet commonly agreed upon rules with none of the members ever trying to break out or go to full on extremes which is quite a rare feature to be found in FreeJazz / Improv albums these days. One for the real genre connaisseurs, this.

St. Kirchhoff - For The Void [Umland Records 042]

Scheduled for release via Essen's finest Umland Records-label as their cat.no. 042 in early May, 2k21 is "For The Void", the latest album created by St. Kirchhoff and probably his most experimental one to this day. Based on an instrumental foundation of guitars, banjos (!!!) and electronics and with both string instruments being bowed in several tracks Mr. Kirchhoff creates a sonic landscape comprised of nine tracks, stretched out over roughly 41 minutes total play time and meandering in between a strange, somewhat outerworldy and haunting, midrange-focused lo-fi variation of isolationist Nordic Folk presented in the opening miniature that is "Oki", absolutely brutal, ear-piercing and feedback-driven HarshNoize in full-on psychotic madness mode in the subsequent "My Cause Is Righteous Do Not Get In My Way" as well as twangy, intimate minimalism in "No Why" for the first three cuts. Furthermore "Shumagorath Bathwater" dabbles with elements of electro-acoustic compositions, glitched rhythm signatures and gnarly, woofer shaking, yet nearly inaudible low end movements whilst "Softlock" returns to a possibly Asia-inspired mostly acoustic exploration of plucked strings and "Labour" enters a world of well ominous rumblings accompanied by what seem to be noises related to mechanical computation and a surprisingly funky, comforting sub foundation somehow evoking memories of Augsburg-based band outfit Deep in their late 90s prime. The follow up that is "Shock Collar Robot Slave Goons" dives head over heels into a pool of crumbling, probably Max/MSP-processed, decaying electric guitar solos and feedbacks, the title "Here In The Void We Don't Talk About The Void" is somewhat reminiscent of Rule 1 and Rule 2 in terms of /b and the concluding cut that is "Disengage" waves goodbye in a most naturalistic, pure and innocent manner when it comes to unaltered, tempered and unprocessed banjo campfire intimacy. Recommended.

Sascha Müller - Bones & Acid Vol. 1 /2 [Bones & Acid]

Put out on the circuit as a special limited edition of only five - yes, 5 !!! - hand-numbered copies worldwide is Sascha Müller's latest single "Bones & Acid Vol. 1/2". Lathe cut onto actual x-ray images in a hand-manufactured 7" format the record itself is an absolute gem and soon to be sought after item for dedicated record collectors whilst DJs will be going to great lengths to get their hands on these absolutely banging Acid / Electro fusion tracks which are about to smash dancefloors to bits with their hard-hitting, hyper-compressed drums and mad modulation sequences. Great stuff and a well worthwhile successor to Mr. Müller's latest 7" gold vinyl release on Intrauterin Recordings.

Ground 71 - Ground 71 [AMP Music & Records 075]

Released via Norwegian imprint AMP Music & Records on September 25th, 2k20 is "Ground 71", the self-titled album debut by Ground 71, a trio of Italian descent consisting of Giampiero Locatelli, Stefano Dallaporta and, once again, Andrea Grillini on drums. Recorded in late October, 2k19 the seven tracks and roughly 59 minutes spanning album sees the three musicians on a journey into deep, nightly, noir'esque Jazz territories, following complex, ever meandering and mostly piano- and rhodes-led lines in each of their well-extended pieces of which the longest even comes close to the 11 minutes mark. This said, Ground 71 are catering a well timeless, mostly intimate and - despite its innate deepness - softly swinging firstling that surely is about to resonate with fans of classic Jazz and FutureJazz alike due to its intricate structures and interweaving sonic storylines, all masterfully arranged as well as mixed and recorded with a sense of intimacy that's unmatched and hardly to be found even in albums of this specific genre these days. Recommended favorites on here: "Personal Highway" and "One Second And A Lifetime". Check!

Album artwork on Instagram!

Bertrand Gauguet & John Tilbury - Contre-Courbes [Akousis Records 002]

Released as cat.no. 002 of the Saint-Denis, France-based experimental imprint Akousis Records on March 5th, 2k21 is "Contre Courbes", a double CD album featuring two live recordings of concerts held by Bertrand Gauguet & John Tilbury in April 2016 and November 2019 respectively. Combining their experimental, rather stripped down approach to their instruments of choice - alto saxophone and piano - the two recordings reflect upon the state of Minimal Music within the wide approximated field of what is referred to as Contemporary Classical / Modern Classical these days, oftentimes with a yearning, longing and slightly melancholic twist due to the subdued, stretched and rather nightly sax interventions whilst other sequences die down to near silence or drift off into highly fascinating, space age retrofuturism before the second concert, featured on CD2, is in for a darker, tense and well more ominous musical exploration, in parts somewhat reminiscent of crime scene scores in a film noir setting, partly comprised of haunted air flows and super high pitched sax-processings and superminimalist Ambient realms that might even resonate with connaisseurs of electro-acoustic music for a reason. Undisturbed headphone consumption is advised.

Album artwork on Instagram!

User10000667856 - Africa EP [User Recordings 029 Promo]

Following their scheme of weekly releases we see User Recordings coming in with their cat.no. 029, the "Africa EP" put out on the digital circuit by User10000667856. With the opening tune "The Heart Of Africa" we're drawn straight towards the center of a buzzing dancefloor where pumping, tool'ish TribalTechno brings on maximum heat whereas "Zapata QUA", the second track on this single, indulges in nearly 11 minutes of bubbly, ever modulating Acid lines in conjunction with captivating, uptempo Bleep Electro for most ecstatic moments on underground dancefloors. Two killer cuts on this one.

Alexandra Spence - A Necessary Softness [Room40]

Scheduled for release via Australia's ever active Room40-imprint on April 16th, 2k21 is "A Necessary Softness", the latest cassette album release crafted by Alexandra Spence which consists of a total of four tracks spread out over roughly 40 minutes - with all of them being recorded in the period between 2014 and 2020 in locations in Vancouver, Hong Kong and Sydney. Starting of with the multi-layered, well tempered Ambient tones and tender bass pulses of "Tidewater" later incorporating bits of Spoken Word, soft, yet somewhat clanging Found Sounds as well as an intense interplay of hypnotic loops and even a Noize-related climax we experience Alexandra Spence further carving out her own, seemingly hermetically secluded and isolated niche within the field of Deep Listening Music in "Waves" which is based on and carefully built around Field Recordings of exactly those whilst "Bell, Fern" takes on a surprisingly ominous and haunted variation of scraping Dark Ambient in its very first minutes, providing relief with friendly, chiming bells and floating sinewave layers before finally turning into a soundtrack for your most unsettling, fear-mongering and gorey nightmares for a second whereas the concluding "Rain" waves goodbye in a more crackly, somewhat vintage sounding manner, partly even evoking memories of pure surface noise for the odd vinyl enthusiast out there. Check.

Extrema Ratio - A Dangerous Method [ADN Records 023]

And now... to the extremes! Released via Italian label ADN Records only recently is "A Dangerous Method", the first mini-album / EP outing created by the experimental four piece that is Extrema Ratio. Visually Industrial leaning and lyrically pairing own works with adaptions of texts by controversial figures like Mao Tse-Tung or William S. Burroughs and coming at us with a wordy, well theoretical, yet rhetorically impactful layout of the groups concept presented on the album cover it becomes pretty clear pretty fast that Extrema Ratio are not here to play. With their members coming from different backgrounds in Hardcore, Punk, FreeJazz, Rock and Improv, all genres not lacking of extremes either, and driven by an ultimate will to explore musical boundaries and sub-niches Extrema Ratio cater a highly unique fusion of hyperintense screaming and brutally growling vocals, the muscular drum power and vibe of classic Hardcore whilst all guitar and bass riffing usually associated with the genre have been replaced by oftentimes shrieking, repetetive sax torture and underlying electronic effects to create a well demanding, yet highly recommended tour de force that's to be fully appreciated by those who have been seeking out sonic extremes for a reason - and probably for years and years at this point, with the only exception to this vibe overall being the haunting, slightly schizophrenic cut that is "Asthenic Rite" which serves another layer of innate paranoia. Most excellent stuff, this.

Album artwork on Instagram!

baze.djunkiii Chart Haul 04/2k21

Sascha Müller - Traxxx Vol. 35 [SM-Traxxx 58-2021 Promo]

Scheduled for release via SM Traxxx on April 22nd, 2k21 is "Traxx Vol. 35", the next digital two track single crafted by Sascha Müller for the label in an ongoing series of monthly releases. Opening with "Track 69" Mr. Müller sets dancefloors on fire with a storming, rocket fuel-fueled take on fast-paced, ever spiralling Acid Techno whilst the subsequent cut "Track 70" is on a hounded, somewhat darker and well subaquatic Techno tip with its fluttering low end warps and raw, whipping hi-hats. Proper good.

Kallo Moberg - The Tokyo Sessions Volume 2: Twist [Kamo Records 002]

Released via his very own imprint Kamo Records on March 19th, 2k21 is "The Tokyo Sessions Volume 2: Twist", the latest album release by Norwegian accordionist Kalle Moberg and the second one he recorded in Jim O'Rourke's Tokyo-based studio, this time alongside fellow international musicians Marty Holoubek, Joe Talia and Tatsuhisa Yamamoto on double bass and drums respectively. With five tracks rolled out over a total playtime of 39 minutes the group of artists continues on a path of intense FreeJazz and Improvisation, catering a thundering, demanding and more often than not hard to grasp ride through highly dynamic pieces and dramatic changes in both volume and pace, shrieking, gallopping and hypercomplex, yet fully improvised arrangements as well as short, spontaneous sonic eruptions and explorative trips into full on madness whereas pieces like "A Treacherously Bright Morning" weigh in more of an eerie, haunted and outerworldly feel for those who can endure it. An album not for the weak or faint-hearted, this.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Listen Again: DJ Blazik & baze.djunkiii Mix Session on Rave FM (04.04.2k21)

Nazareno Caputo - Phylum [Aut Records 070]

Coming in via mail from the headquarters of the Italian imprint Aut Records these days is "Phylum", the new, February 22nd, 2k21-released album created by trio-leading Nazareno Caputo alongside fellow musicians Ferdinando Romano and Mattia Galeotti. Taking the albums title from a scientific, particularly zoology- and botany-related taxonomic background the three artists involved cater a menu of nine tracks rolled out over the course of roughly 69 minutes playtime, tackling a playful, curious and oftentimes frolicking variation of Jazz basically built around the vibraphone as a well unusual, ethereal, yet percussive lead instrument accompanied by bass, percussion and drums to create deep, most beautifully floating Future Jazz pieces like the nightly "Adi", the rhythmically complex and polylayered, yet super intimate "Abside" which is our favorite cut on this album for a reasons whereas "Adam R." provides a take on tender, highly recommended late night minimalism in (Future)Jazz and "Phylum II" works its way from relative stripped down beginnings to complex, fast-paced and crystalline heights just to name a few. Defo an album that will surely resonate with an audience way beyond the Jazz scene due to its well comforting, yet well advanced atmosphere. Good stuff.

John Morales presents Teena Marie - Love Songs & Funky Beats Remixed With Loving Devotion [BBE Music]

Put out on the circuit on March 26th, 2k21 is "Love Songs & Funky Beats Remixed With Loving Devotion", a musical love letter and homage to Soul / RnB / Disco legend Teena Marie put together and crafted by producer and remixer John Morales who's been working on the singers original recordings for many years before her untimely and early passing in 2010. Released via BBE Music as a massive 18 track 2CD pack this large scale homage sees Morales' carefully reshaping and reworking Teena Marie's classic material - including pieces like the dramatic Disco anthem "First Class Love", the 1981 ProtoRap sequences of "Square Biz", the touching, well sexy late night grooves of of "365", the seductive swing and shuffle of "Wasn't I Good To You", the longing, ecstatic "Lonely Desire" and even a live (!!!) version of "I'm A Sucker For Your Love" -, providing a contemporary update of classic cuts that, due to its 100% authentic sound and respectful approach, could well pass as a collection of lost and rediscovered extended edits and versions from the original days of Disco, Funk and Boogie instead of being a recent contemporary production. Which is a compliment for sure.

User85694743322 - Compressor EP [User Recordings 028 Promo]

Another relatively fresh digital single put on the circuit via User Recordings is the "Compressor EP" crafted by User85694743322. With the "Kurdish Violin Compressor" we see the quasi-anonymous producer catering a brutal, feedback-heavy variation of grinding BleepGabba if this is a thing whilst the second track on this single, "Untitled 8" is more on a dry, fast-paced and somewhat screaming, electroid MonoAcid tip for true underground headz and illegal underground bunker raves. 100% approved.

Circles 44 - Cratere [Aut Records 069]

Coming in from Italy only recently is "Cratere", cat.no. 069 of the countries ever active Aut Records imprint and the first longplay release for the Circles 44 trio which is comprised of Massimiliano Amatruda, Joseph Circelli and Andrea Grillini on drums. Put on the circuit in October of 2k20 the nine pieces on this one, stretched over a total of roughly 45 minutes, see the trio on a deep, classy and somewhat noir'esque Jazz tip from the late night piano etudes of the opening title tracks onwards to the driving, space age- and Psychedelia-infused electric guitars of the subsequent "Funk Dress" whereas "Brilliant Cliff" provides an excellent example of rhythmically corresponding piano lines and super complex drum works provided by Grillini whilst "Affirmative Dot Pt.1" weighs in a vibe very vaguely reminiscent of songs by the Red Hot Chili Peppers in their absolute Pop prime - ... and transferred into the Jazz realm, obviously - whereas the concluding piece "Old Chair" presents a stripped down, minimalist angle of approaching Contemporary Jazz just to name a few. Good stuff.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Tine Surel Lange - Works For Listening 1-10 [Sofa Music]

Put out on the circuit via the Norwegian imprint Sofa Music on March 19th, 2k21 is "Works For Listening 1-10" which is the longplay solo debut created by composer / artist Tine Surel Lange who's showcased her musical and installation works in the context of countless festival settings all over the globe over the globe over the course of her career. With "Works For Listening 1-10" Lange presents a total of, well... obviously, ten pieces, opening with the curiously titled "Metal And Spoon" and progressing further with mostly descriptively named compositions like "Roof Work I-III", "Wires", "Water And Stone" and others which are partially derived from altered and reprocessed Field Recordings and partially, at least seemingly, rooted in an electroacoustic compositional process. This said, Tine Surel Lange manages to create a spatial, somewhat surreal, calm and solemn sonic landscape in many of the tunes on this debut, with some even crossing over into the realm of Ambient, Dark Ambient and Electronica whereas especially the decontextualized and unprocessed Field Recordings found in "Roof Work I" or "Roof Work III" present dry, raw, abstract and oftentimes scraping, grinding, probably even violent shades and textures of Tine Surel Lange's sonic universe. A quite well varied, interesting firstling, this.

Album artwork on Instagram!

04.04.2k21 baze.djunkiii presents Bigroom Takeover Volume 1 @ Rave FM 98.5 / Krakow, Poland

decks: baze.djunkiii [Intrauterin Recordings]

file under: Techno / Bigroom / Business Techno / Trance

Back once again on the Polish pirate radio circuit baze.djunkiii has cooked up quite a special selection for DJ Blazik's "Mix Session" show broadcasted on Rave FM 98.5 this Sunday. Expect 60 minutes of banging Bigroom x Business Techno mixed up with the occasional underground Trance and Rave anthem you might never have heard of. Get locked.

transmission start: 2200 Krakow time

short term schedule will be posted at the stations facebook page!

Get locked to Rave FM 98.5 on your FM dial locally in Krakow / Poland!

Also tune in via 99.5FM in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz as well as via 108.0FM in Bielsko Biala.

The D3VI7 - Fluff Boyz In The Hood [Soundkleckse Records 305 Promo]

Released via the German digital imprint Soundkleckse Records on March 23rd, 2k21 is "Fluff Boyz In The Hood", the next high octane outing straight outta the studios of The D3VI7. Opening with the so-called 'Original Mix' of the title track we're facing a heavy, hypnotic and somewhat even Hardcore-infused take on spatial, reverberating Business Techno, the subsequent "Fluff Boyz In The Hood *P.T.B.S. Fluffi Fürn Fuffi Remix" takes us down a faster, crisp and defo Rave-orientied route with its ever busy electrical buzzes, futuristic minimal laser bleeps and tongue-in-cheek Gabba references whereas the concluding remix crafted by HANZZO works crowds to the max with its multilayered, heavily filtered industrial percussion elements, intense, braincell-wrecking midrange synths and brutally marching bassdrums which can be described as being set to full on combat mode for a reason. Violence!

Andreas Davids - Zwischen Halbschlaf Und Disco [AD | D.I.Y. 002]

Coming in via mail recently and released as the cat.no. 002 of his very own D.I.Y. label series is "Zwischen Halbschlaf Und Disco", a new limited to 20 copies cassette tape single crafted by Andreas Davids who is also the main man behind the famed Xotox project who explores an astoundingly crisp and crystalline take on well dancefloor friendly and groovy, IDM-induced Intelligent Techno / Ambient House on the A-side whilst the flipside starts on a noisier, somewhat haunted and otherworldly tip before cascading synth melodies are aiming at more Techno-leaning crowds in terms of tempo and atmosphere despite lacking a proper low-end punch. Sweet.

Tape artwork on Instagram!

baze.djunkiii Charts 04/2k21

01. Desolat - Songs Of Love In The Age Of Anarchy [Bloodshed666 Records 020]
See review for details...

02. P.T.B.S. & The D3VI7 - The Versus Series Vol. 03 [Afflicted In Techno / Bang Le Dex Recordings]
See review for details...

03. -

04. -

05. -

06. -

07. -

08. -

09. -

10. -

User34546789099 - Strange EP [User Recordings 031 Promo]

Another fresh one put out via User Recordings is the "Strange EP", a digital two track single crafted by User34546789099. Whilst the opening tune that is "Dub Strange" provides a deep, melodic and ChillOut-leaning take on tender, beauteous DubTechno with a slight (Neo)Trance / AmbientTrance twist the subsequent follow up "Zapata_TRE" presents a wild, well untamed and jackin' take on dry Chicago Acid and takes audiences straight back to the genres' early years - think 1989 for this one. Bang!

Listen Again: baze.djunkiii presents Beyond TechHouse Volume 10 @ Radio Flouka / Paris, France (25.03.2k21)

Radio Flouka راديو فلوكة · Beyond TechHouse Vol. 10 with baze.djunkiii - 25/03/2021