Sirom - The Liquified Throne Of Simplicity [Glitterbeat / Tak:til Promo]

Put out on the circuit via the Glitterbeat Records offspring known as Tak:til on April 8th, 2k22 is "The Liquified Throne Of Simplicity", the fourth ever full length album conceived by the Slovenenian trio Sirom and their third longplayer for the label since their first appearance in 2k17. Comprised of the artistic triple of Ana Kravanja, Iztok Koren and Samo Kution Sirom once again are diving deep into a realm described as 'imaginery Folk' in the accompanying press release, presenting a total of five vastly extended pieces stretched out over the course of 77+ minutes, drawing inspiration from the rich history of their Slovenian motherland as well as echoes of echoes of traditional music native to Southeastern Europe and the Balkan region to create a dreamlike voyage through seemingly endless sonic realms of natural beauty, formed by dense layers of krautsy rhythms, sustained drones created by both wind and string instruments, a certain fever'ish un-reality and slightly blurred or washed out textures, a stream of tender and beautiful Folk meets (Neo)Classical fusion works with almost Asian implementations when it comes to "Gazes, Wrinkles, Drifts Into Sleep" as well as spaced out minimal Desert PostRock of somewhat haunting quality ("A Bluish Flickering"), frolicking, folksy and somewhat even trance-inducing Desert Blues / Abstract Americana vibes and other goodness which makes "The Liquified Throne Of Simplicity" probably one of the most interesting releases on Tak:til so far. Check.

Johan Berthling - Björnhorn [Thanatosis Produktion 012]

Put out on the circuit via Stockholm-based Avantgarde-imprint Thanatosis Produktion on April 20th, 2k22 is "Björnhorn", the full length album debut by Swedish bass player Johan Berthling who's taking us on a seven tracks and roughly 37 minutes spanning sonic journey on this hand-numbered CD release which is limited to a total of 100 copies worldwide. Fully focusing on the double bass as his instrument of choice and with all but one track being named "Björnhorn" Johan Berthling provides a quite far out and partially off-kilter vision of a contemporary double bass performance, going from raw, powerful and untamed bow treatments to tenderly plugged strings of a dark'ish, minimalist, yet spatial and atmospheric quality ("Björnhorn II") via brooding and scraping DarkJazz / DarkAmbient-leaning experimentalisms ("Björnhorn III") as well as sustained, unsettling Desert Drone ("Björnhorn IV") and things way beyond, including Desert Blues references in ("Björnhorn V") which will surely appear to a probably limited, yet well dedicated Avantgarde audience for a reason. If this is you - go and check this one out.

Album artwork on Instagram!

The D3VI7 - Hooker [Dizzy Tunes Promo]

Put out on the digital circuit via the renowned Dizzy Tunes imprint on April 1st, 2k22 is "Hooker" - a new digital six track single forged and bent by noone less than The D3VI7 himself. Opening with "Monopoly" the count of darkness provides a muscular and well pumping take on Acid-infused hyperfunctional HardHouse whereas the follow up "It's All about Acid" sticks to its guns and dissolves every punters braincells with raw and untamed take on hounded, fast paced MonoAcid whilst the title cut that is "Hooker" pairs stomping Chicago Techno / Chicago Basement and screaming, toxic Acid modulations for fans of Green Velvet, DJ Rush and the likes of. Furthermore the "Law" kills punters on the spot with its distorted approach towards spiralling, bubbly and hyperbrutal MonoAcid, "Changes" brings forth a variation of clattering Acid Downbeat and cut up R'n'B vocal bits for a change as well as for lovers of early Fauna Flash productions whereas the final cut that is "Kalibrator" explores a realm of muffled, deeply twisted, yet somewhat positive ElectroPhonk for a closing, vibewise well similar to Kerosene's seminal "Songs From The Wood" released on Chrome back in 1996 before the label went full on Drum'n'Bass. Good stuff, this.

Afflicted - Dreamland EP [Dancefloor Socialism 012 Promo]

Put out on the digital circuit via Dancefloor Socialism as the labels cat.no. 012 is the "Dreamland EP", the latest two track single produced by the German underground duo that is Afflicted. Opening with the title cut "Dreamland" the joint venture project enters a realm of deep and pumping Intelligent Techno paired with decent bubbling Acid synths and most beautiful ProtoTrance string arrangements for a late night trip into the outer realms of the human consciousness whereas the subsequent "Newavnbass" weighs in a massive surprise with its rattling, clattering and slighty oldskool'ish Drum'n'Bass vibe, bringing forth nothing but raw explosive energy, ethereal strings and a destructive monster bass which surely sets out to kill punters straight at the heart of the dancefloor. Tunage!

Dr. NoiseM - Studio Works 33 [Dr. NoiseM Tapes Promo]

Yes, he's back. Dr. NoiseM, one of the most elusive and secretive underground Noize x Cold Ambient producers within the already very niche scene, provides us with a new longplay outing, the thirty-third volume of his ongoing 'Studio Works' series. Opening with "xxxx2" the long standing sound bender dives deep into calm, nocturnal and hyperminimal Ambient accompanied by earth shaking low end rumbles on the brink of the audible spectrum before the follow up that is "Bold System" provides the exact opposite with a grinding, yet strangely harmonic and comforting wall of digital feedback Noize that stretches over the course of 18+ minutes whereas "My Bold" picks up on a similar, yet more brutalist approach in its attempt to slowly grind your soul to bits and "Batmans Cave", once again, harks back to the artists trademark use of haunting respiratory sounds, this time in combination with angelic, glistening and outerworldly non-vocalisms as well as icy swaths of vantablack darkness blown over from afar. Furthermore "Burn In Hell" tells tales of unseen sonic horrors and well bent, off-kilter midrange modulations of obviously interdimensional origin appealing only to the headstrong, "Die Annäherung Des Mutterschiffes" is more of a buzzing and electric affair which is surely applicable to provide a sense of imminent danger and hostility in a sci-fi score context, "HNW" re-introduces the icy, spatial and somewhat angelic, solemn minimalism oftentimes present in Dr. NoiseM's work ever since the artist first emerged on the the scene before the final piece "Post Mortem" weighs in a short take on eerie, hyperminimalist textures for a closing. You know the score.

Lydian Dunbar - Blue Sleep [Room40 Promo]

Scheduled for release on April 29th, 2k22 via the Room40 label is "Blue Sleep", the latest solo album effort created by Australian artist x composer Lydian Dunbar, also known and recognized for his work with the group / project Tralala Blip. Inspired by a day of surfing and chilling at the Byron Bay area Dunbar set out to captivate his state of mind experienced in this eight tracks and roughly 41 minutes spanning album, taking us on a journey into a realm of slowly, yet continuously evolving sonic textures from the rather brooding and DarkAmbient leaning drones of the opener "Dust Motor Reduction" onwards, followed by the comforting, slightly washed out harmonics of the title track as well as the rather intense and enormous tectonic shifts of "A Whale Is Dreaming Me" to the glistening, slightly off-kilter and yet calming, angelic Ambient vibe of "Beach Shelter". Furthermore Dunbar's well minimalist "Sky Hum" provides a feeling of undisturbed peace like the sound of a small plane crossing clear blue skies somewhere in a far distance, "Dust Motor Full" provides a more unsettling (Un)Ambient vibe set by granular distortion and a maelstrom of icy, ever twisted and tormented synth harmonies to be found hidden deep within the mix whilst the "Soft Fingers Of The Monster" weigh in the most harmonic and melodic approach towards what could almost be described as slightly washed out Ambient before the closing cut that is "Ballina Breakwall" fully immerses itself in a sustained widescreen variation of Deep Listening Music for a well comforting finish. One for all the die-hard Ambient headz out there.

Listen Again: baze.djunkiii presents Just Another Freestyle Session Volume 1 @ Radio Flouka / Paris (21.04.2022)

Radio Flouka راديو فلوكة · baze.djunkiii presents Just Another Freestyle Session Vol. 1 - 21/04/2022

baze.djunkiii Chart Haul 04/2k22

Ilitch - PTM Works 2 [Trace Label 057]

Scheduled for release via the French Trace Label imprint on May 3rd, 2k22 is "PTM Works 2", the new album outing by the long standing group / project named Ilitch which has shrunken down to being a duo effort by Patrick and Thierry Müller these days despite providing a home for a variety of artists since its first longplay inception in 1978. Within a total of 14 compositions the two brothers tackle the reality of their ordinary childhood which is falsely depicted as happy in the family pictures the two shared on the 7" triple gatefold cover over the course of roughly 74 minutes. Yet, diving into their shared work as Ilitch we see the two brothers indulging in a world of (Neo)Cosmic gloom from the opening sequence of "Robert & Robert" onwards, a piece perfectly matching the eerie, uneasy vibe of the albums back cover in its ominous movements akin to highly abstract, microscopic Progressive x Psychedelic Rock even which finds its darker, more PostRock- / Doom-leaning continuation in the subsequent "La Faculte Du Sombre" whereas "Reve Et Reality" provides a glimpse of hope with its slightly naive, fluttering and fragmented, ever evolving synth motif before "Le Cauchemars De Nois Choix" pairs thrilling, ever buzzing electronic movements with an emotional piano line for a change. Furthermore "Vos Desibs Sont Nos Angoisses" acts as a blueprint of Dark Ambient within a score'esque sci-fi setting, "Reminiscence" applies a similar vibe within a Rhythm Industrial context whilst adding longing, yet somewhat desolate electric guitar layers to the mix, "Le Syndrome De Stendhal" once again harks back to modular, nocturnal Dark Ambient / Deep Listening Music textures whereas "Il N'a Que Le Casino Qui Cagne" amalgamates deep outerworldly dub FX and a simple, lo-fi keyboard melody to a fascinating effect whilst "Dresse Sur Les Eaux De L'Ennui" takes minimal, Blues-infused PostRock to a new atmospheric level just to name a few. Defo a well thrilling and highly recommended affair, this. Get.

Mads Emil Nielsen & Chromacolor - Constellation [Arbitrary 012 Promo]

Scheduled for release via Arbitrary on April 29th, 2k22 is "Constellation", the first in a series of remix collaborations to come from Scandinavian producer x composer Mads Emil Nielsen and Hanno Leichtmann's Chromacolor project. Whilst the A-side features Nielsen's original cut of "Constellation", a spatial take on deep and stripped down IDM / Electronica generated by granular synthesis which presents a slightly 90s-leaning vibe for those who've been following early atmospheric works of acts like The Future Sound Of London back in this highly inspiring and formative era, we see Leichtmann, operating under the guise of Chromacolor, bring forward more of a floating, structured and surely Ambient focused variation, adding huge, all embracing bass pulses for a steady rhythmic foundation as well as layers of dreamlike harmonies and a friendly, meandering main motif to his rework on this limited to 300 copies 10" vinyl release. Recommended.

Anschein. - Uberkomplexx. [Anschein 001]

Put out on the circuit on April 13th, 2k22 is "Uberkomplexx.", the self-released vinyl debut album by Frankfurt / Germany-based producer and live act Anschein., who - like many other probably also like-minded artists - ventured off into the studio over the course of several pandemic-induced lockdowns and other nightlife affecting restrictions over the course of the past two years. The result is a limited to 300 copies, seven track spanning longplay effort which starts on a score'esque and atmospheric Dubstep / Trap tip with "4:20", a tune accompanied by surprisingly Metal-leaning vocals courtesy of Chinoba, whereas the subsequent "Some More" featuring SMI on well dreamy, emotional microphone duty is building a sparse, yet complex bridge between techy, Bristol-infused Dubstep and 160 / Juke x Footwork before "Harbor's Breath" gravitates towards a sonic realm shared with the likes of Pole and especially Deadbeat, pairing Broken Beats with minimalistic, dubbed out stabs, various layers of percussion of ever growing density, a heavy low end and tender, atmospheric pads whilst the "Antisocial Teenager" drives peaktime crowds to new heights with its fast, yet still Dub-infused Footwork Jungle approach, looped vocal samples and clattering percussion madness. Furthermore "Manchester" weighs in a surprisingly Funk-infused take on electroid Breaks for late night dancefloors with its busy and bubbling synths alongside spaced out Electro vibes probably influenced by the likes of Clatterbox or labels like Frustrated Funk or Frantic Flowers etc., "Don't Be Scared" once again sees SMI on vocals, this time aiming for mainfloor attention with elastic sample (ab)use, Rave-infused vocals and more of a classic Dubstep vibe which makes this our favorite cut in this album whilst the concluding cut that is ":In" unfortunately ends on a low for a closing in its attempt to go full on chromatic Pop in a tender, atmospheric and vocal-driven PostGarage x Future R'n'B x Future Garage crossover fashion which already didn't do much for us when acts like James Blake et al. rose to new heights more than a decade ago. A super solid debut, this. Forget about ":In", though.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Jörg Zemmler - Piano Bar [self-released]

It is always a great thing when artists decide to take it upon themselves to release their own music instead of relying on labels and their infrastructure and this is exactly what Italo Austrian piano player Jörg Zemmler did, once again, with his new album "Piano Bar". Put out on the circuit on April 16th, 2k22 the ten tracks and roughly 38 minutes spanning longplayer sees the 1975-born artist take on an analogue wall piano supported by digital live loops and sustain without additional editing or processing in the studio, providing an improvised, yet well structured and surely Modern Classical- x Contemporary Classical-informed approach towards what could be, in a most praising and endorsing manner, described as most valuable and perfectly executed Easy Listening music with its melodic swells, partial melancholia, stripped down, inward looking romanticisms ("Blinzeln"), varied and slightly meandering repetitions of one singular motif accompanied by glistening background atmospheres for rainy Sunday afternoon sessions ("Verschanzt"), hypnotic, yet also dramatically cascading moments found in "Hinterrücks" and proper (Neo)Classical exercises in fast finger movements manifesting in "mc2" for a change just to name a few. If the sound of an - almost natural - solo piano is your jam this is one album to make you feel well at home.

NO MORE - Suicide Commando [El Caballo Semental 002 / STUTE002-purple]

Format: 7“, third pressing, purple vinyl, additional stamp on label. limited to 1000 copies

Label: El Caballo Semental
Cat.No.: STUTE002-purple

Tracklist
A1: Suicide Commando
B1: In A White Room

File under: PostPunk / Wave

The year is 1981. The Kiel-based PostPunk / Wave underground outfit NO MORE releases their second ever single „Suicide Commando“ and their world changes forever. Well, not only their world – THE world.

What began as an independently published 7“ single became a cult classic, a genre defining – and defying – song, an all-time dancefloor favorite of many, a timeless signature piece that escaped its original realm of PostPunk x Wave x Indie x Alternative to also become engrained in the DNA of modern electronic dancefloor culture most prominently in the beloved late 90s permutation presented by DJ Hell which became a classic in its own right.

Now the year is 2021. Four decades have passed and NO MORE's „Suicide Commando“ is back once again - well... the song actually never left! -, this time harking back to the very beginning, the original vibe and the original format.

Remastered and re-released with the original tracklisting and paying homage to the original artwork „Suicide Commando“ will be available in 7“ format for the first time since 1981.

And staying true to the underground blueprint this 40th anniversary re-release edition once again is put out on the circuit through a small independent label: the Intrauterin Recordings offspring El Caballo Semental which also released NO MORE's „123456789 *baze.djunkiii & Herr Brandt Dream A NuDream Remix“ as a limited to 200 copies one-sided, colored whitelabel 7“ edition in 2019.

RELEASE DATE: April 22nd, 2k22

Egil Kalman - Kingdom Of Bells: Emil Kalman Plays The Synthi 100 [Ideal Recordings Promo]

Scheduled for release via the Swedish imprint Ideal Recordings on May 1st, 2k22 is "Kingdom Of Bells: Emil Kalman Plays The Synthi 100", the forthcoming ten track album outing by Swedish artist x composer Emil Kalman. Recorded over the course of his 2019 artist residency spent at the Contemporary Music Research Center in Athens, Greece the 38 minutes spanning longplayer solely focuses on the sound of the rare, and well famed, modular synthesizer known as Synthi 100 recorded in stereo with no additional overdubs or reprocessing which, given that the highly complex instrument was mainly developed and first built in the early 70s, immediately invokes a massive sonic flashback within the listener with pieces like the opener "Cloudless Daybreak", the super soft and tender repetitions of "Lyra" alongside the frolicking "Yellowhammer Pt. 2" evoking memories of somewhat naive and unscathed Krautrock futurisms whereas bits like the almost naturalistic, Field Recording-mimicking "Yellowhammer Pt. 1" as well as the somewhat swampy and elastic minimalism in "Iannis" bring sound research labs like the BBC Radiophonic Workshop to mind which, most fittingly, got their, albeit modified, EMS Synthi 100 as an early delivery back in 1970. File under: beautifully retrofuturist soundscapes for those in the know.

Tülay German & Francois Rabath - Homage To Nazim Hikmet [Zehra 004 Promo]

Continuing on their path of Tülay German reissues with "Homage To Nazim Hikmet" put out on the circuit on April 8th, 2k22 the Zehra label presents the next collaborational album which sees the seminal Turkish singer Tülay German working with French saz and double bass player Francois Rabbath. Originally recorded in the early 80s and first released via Arion in 1982 the twelve songs on this 39 minutes spanning longplay piece once again shine a light on the beauty and significance of this bi-national collaboration which fuses the powerful tradition of ancient Turkish Folk music with sparse, oftentimes melancholia-infused instrumentation which puts a touching emotional spell even on those who cannot speak or understand the Turkish at all. Two to check out: the dramatic "Urganda Gerdan Iniler" as well as the more elegic and nocturnal, almost DarkJazz-infused "Hürriyet Kavgasi". Deep.

21.04.2022 baze.djunkiii presents Just Another Freestyle Session Volume 1 @ Radio Flouka / Paris (2200 GMT+1)

Any time is party time and party time means... freestyle! Hamburg-based Radio Flouka-resident baze.djunkiii is digging deep into crates filled with beloved classics, blending and mixing his way from Funky Breaks and Broken House to floating, ethereal DeepHouse and heavyweight House bangers, rare original Disco cuts and way beyond like there are no limits, borders and stylistic boundaries. One massive selection for your personal afterparty enjoyment, this.

decks: baze.djunkiii [Intrauterin Recordings / El Caballo Semental]

file under: Freestyle / Disco / House / Funky Breaks

transmission time: 22oo - 23oo GMT+1

get locked via Radio Flouka
Paris

Painting - Painting Is Dead [Antime 034 Promo]

Released via Antime, the Berlin-based label run by former Frittenbude core member Martin Steer, on April 15th, 2k22 is "Painting Is Dead", the longplay debut conceived by by the trio known as Painting which are providing access to at least one layer of their meta art project 'Painting In 3D' through the five pieces on their roughly 37 minutes spanning album. Sonically the group, in parts emerging from the leftovers of the former label signing Soft Grid, seems to be a perfect fit for Antime labelwise, with the opener "Symmetrical Pattern" fusing multilayered, partially classical choir-oriented vocal works with dreamlike harmonies, captivating, highly energetic PostRock / MathRock patterns and a good portion of Indie awareness followed by the darker, almost fever'ish and ritualistic sunset vibe of "Maybe It's Like Riding In A Little Jeep" which even weighs in somewhat of a jazzed out PostPunk attitude at times. Furthermore "All My Eggs Go Down The Drain" presents Downtempo-, Jazz- as well as hyperchromatic Vaporwave-infused, purposely off-kilter vocal drama and a well surprising dynamic range which gives this piece an almost cinematic quality, "I'll Be A Shadow And A Cloud" is as touching of a song exceeding traditional songrwiting as it can be with its almost Anime-like vocal etherealism densely paired with spiralling synthesizers and powerful rhythm signatures before the concluding "Who Are The Pretty New Ducks In The Pond" starts out on a fluttering synth tip before going full on MathRock meets TexMex meets expressionist PostPunk (....and Dyse!) for a closing. If names like Superorganism or Nav Katze do mean something to you, "Painting Is Dead" might be a worthwhile addition to your personal stack of records. Good Stuff. Get.

Xposed 4Heads - Planet A' Go-Go [Internal Combustion 004]

Coming in via mail from our stateside friends of the Xposed 4Heads only recently is "Planet A' Go-Go", the latest longplay outing by the Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based band outfit released on their very own Internal Combustion label and their fifth album since their first inception on the tape underground circuit of 1985. With a total of eleven new songs on - as they put it - limited black vinyl (sic!) the long standing group founded by singer and artistic head honcho Mark G.E. surely sticks true to their overall approach and attitude, from the tongue-and-cheek Production x Library Music leaning intro that is "Landing Theme" to rocking big time New Wave / SynthPop party bangers like "Suggestion Box", "Kink In The System" and "New Wave Apocalypse" whilst adding more of a slightly exaggerated and over the top Surf x 60s vibe to their originally Devo-informed sound with cuts like "Can't Fix This Funk", "Switch N Go" or "Fun Girls". Defo a well worthy follow up to their 2017 album "Urgency Squad" even though electric guitars and other Rock-related elements are featured way more prominently than ever on this one.

Petr Kotik - The Plains At Gordium: Performed By Talujon [Unseen Worlds 039 Promo]

Released via the Unseen Worlds imprint in late 2k21 is "The Plains At Gordium: Performed By Talujon", the latest longplay composition piece created by Czech-born composer Petr Kotik. This piece, composed in 2004 and performed as well as recorded by the percussion-focusing ensemble that is Talujon in May of 2k18, covers a continuous total of 54 minutes runtime, starting out from a point of minimalist, slightly meandering rhythmic repetitions slowly developing towards a certain level of fragmentation and syncopation, presenting a dynamically measured, somewhat time defying stream of organic pulses that could easily be imagined as a neverending maximum loops providing the solemn, slightly ritualistic soundtrack and ambience for a buddhist temple or a similarly used venue of ancient origin. Deep Listening Music of another, more organic kind.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Lawrence English - Viento [Room40 Promo]

Put on the digital and CD circuit via Lawrence English' very own Room40 imprint on April 8th, 2k22 is "Viento", his roughly 36 minutes spanning two track album dealing with Field Recordings of blizzards in both Patagonia and Antarctica which has been previously released on longplay vinyl format via the Minnesota-based label Taiga Records in 2k15. Originally recorded in 2k10 whilst being stuck in Argentina on a trip down to Antarctica due to adverse weather conditions the first half of the album - "Viento (Patagonia)" - is quite a brutal, almost Industrial-leaning affair with heavy gusts of wind and prominently battered metal pieces providing an unsettling and powerful reminder of the true force of nature unleashed whilst "Viento (Antarctica)" is an overall calmer, measured and uniform recording with its constantly droning winds and seemingly wooden sheets and sticks rattling, accompanied by faint occasional beeps and sines of probably artificial, yet totally unknown and unidentifiable origin. One for all die hard fans of unprocessed FoundSound and Field Recordings, this.

2020 - 3 [2020 Records Promo]

Released on January 17th, 2k22 via the mysterious artist run digital imprint that is 2020 Records is "3", the third album released by the otherwise anonymous artist 2020 over the course of three consecutive years. Opening with "Man In Space" we're drawn into a surprisingly harsh, yet at the same time harmonically warped maelstrom of dreamlike Psychedelic Illbient under the influence of certain narcotics whereas the "Strange Bastard" provides more of a hammering, buzzing and scraping electrical drone vs. noise terrorism for fans of early Einstuerzende Neubauten whilst "Die Sterne" sees 2020 harking back to his artistic roots, providing beautiful late night Ambient for fans of the former mid-90s German TV program known as HR3 Space Night, especially with its well disturbing sci-fi vocal samples providing an additional, yet fictitious layer on how misinformation, brainwashing and altered realities might work and function. The subsequent triplet of tunes "WeG_A23" / "WeG_A24" / "WeG_A25" weighs in an extended sequence of deeply nocturnal, somewhat melancholic Dark Ambient textures with the last one of the three drifting off into warped psychedelic Ambient / (Neo)Cosmic territories before the short interlude named "Dream System" sees 2020 on a journey into a retrofuturist era of early electronic music production. Furthermore "Fear Your Dreams" caters a variation of eerie, warped minimalism in Death Ambient atop stripped down low end pulses, fever'ish Tribal drummings and glimpses of angelic choirs shimmering through, "Latin Hour" seems to be somewhat out of place with its heavily glitched out approach to vinyl hyperskipping and ultra cut-ups and the final cut that is "Saturn Rising" once again harks back to the experimentalisms once employed by places and groups like the BBC Radiophonic Workshop for a closing. Intredasting. Go check.

Simon Whetham - (II)ntolerance [Kohlhaas Records 024 Promo]

Scheduled for release via the Italian Kohlhaas Records imprint on April 22nd, 2k22 is "(II)ntolerance", the follow up album by Simon Whetham to his 2017 released longplay piece "InTolerance" which pretty much deals with an opposite set of themes and parameters in comparison to its predecessor. Whilst the 2017 outing was all about the freedom to travel freely the world has become a different place, with movement restricted due to the pandemic situation and - for UK citizens like Whetham - further hindrances and restrictions coming along with brexit. This being said, the fourteen pieces featured on the 41 minutes spanning body of work that is "(II)ntolerance" provide a listening experience as abstract as things can be, each consisting of a sequence of singular movements, short bursts and excerpts of or sonically magnified x reprocessed Field Recordings, crackly shifts, static low frequency rumbles, metallic clangs, mechanical / robotic motions and other most granular, sometimes even avalanche'esque sonic events which, seen in their entirety, provide a feel of modern age liminality, gnawing anxiety and an overwhelming sense of ones life being hollowed out by being stuck within a certain state of transition devoid of a final destination, change of status or irrevocable return to normalcy which, as a continuous state of affairs, might be too hard to handle for many - especially if there's no silver lining to be found shimmering at the very far end of the horizon. Quite a desolate, hard to grasp and partially even threatening affair, this.

Cole Peters - A Certain Point Of Inertia [Room40 Promo]

Another fresh release put out on the circuit on April 8th, 2k22 via the long-standing Australian label that is Room40 is "A Certain Point Of Inertia", the latest full length album created by Canadian sound artist Cole Peters. Finding, like many other artists, a certain inspiration throughout a period of extended lockdown periods spent in the Manitoba-area of his motherland as well as the imminent feel of stasis, stagnation and decay of perception that came with it the five tracks and roughly 38 minutes spanning longplay piece is a sonic reflection of this time, a careful, yet sonically hypermagnified exploration of places and sites oftentimes found at random, throughout extended aimless wanderings, featuring all their overheard beauty from breaking shorefronts to what seem to be eerily creaking wooden doors, hovering helicopters quickly closing in from afar, echoes of hidden industrial drones and atmospheres, slow metallic movements and scrapings as well as probably reprocessed microtectonic shifts and tremors, all falling into place to provide a deep, carefully textured deep listening experience for all fans and followers of FoundSound and Field Recordings.

Giovanni Di Domenica - Polvere De Rabbia [Kohlhaas 021 Promo]

Put out on the circuit via the well eclectic Italian-imprint that is Kohlhaas on March 25th, 2k22 as their cat.no. 021 is "Polvere Di Rabbia", the latest album effort conceived by Brussels-based composer Giovanni Di Domenica. With his new longplayer, released as a limited to 300 vinyl copies edition, we see the Italian composer cater a total of five new pieces rolled out over roughly 38 minutes runtime, covering musical grounds of sacral, solemn and festive beauty, pairing muffled, highly intimate atmospheres with beauteous, lost and wandering layers of keyboard melodies and - most importantly - a meandering string of whispered vocals partly buried deep with the mix, echoes of spine-tingling (Neo)Cosmic and brooding, sometimes even swampy Ambient x Deep Listening Music, mysterious Synth swirls and further recordings of outerdimensional seep ins whilst more chiming, light-hearted and playful bits like "Le Bestie Ferocci" are crossing over into a somewhat blurred and nebulous realm touching base with Avantarde / Modern Classical music as well as electronic composition whereas "Un Uovo" and "Neve Senza Vento" even flirt with genres like DarkJazz / Future Jazz just to pick out a few specific tracks by name off of this very unique, outstanding and therefore highly recommended release. Get!

Melaine Dalibert - Shimmering [Ici D'Ailleurs / Mind Travel Series 014 Promo]

Released via the Ici D'Ailleur's Mind Travel series on March 25, 2k22 with the vinyl version to follow in May is "Shimmering", the latest full length album effort by pianist x composer Melaine Dalibert and his very first one on the label. Over the course of eight tracks and a total playtime of 31 minutes we see Dalibert diving deep into powerful, emotionally touching Modern Classical / (Neo)Classical piano elegies, presenting lively, yet also melancholia-inducing melodic arks, intimate pieces for rainy Sunday afternoons ("Six + Six" / "Prayer") as well as sparse, inward-looking elegies ("Mantra") and other goodness for fans of modern solo piano exercises. File under: Contemporary Listening Music.

Bodega - Broken Equipment [What's Your Rupture? Promo]

Released via the NYC-based imprint What's Your Rupture? on March 11th, 2k22 is Bodega's "Broken Equipment", the fourth full length album recorded by the Brooklynite band outfit for the label since their 2k18 debut "Endless Scroll". With a total of 12 brand new songs rolled out over the course of 42 minutes we see the band weighing in a slighty PostPunk-infused and most surprisingly very British-sounding take on high octane Indie Rock for peak time dancefloors with seductive killer cuts like the groove-infested midtempo affair "Doers" and the uber funky, female-led "Territorial Call Of The Female" following the classic Indie route whereas "Statuette On The Console" bridges the gap between Garage and Pop Punk lightheartedly whilst setting spring break frat parties on fire, "C.I.R.P" and the slightly more shallow "Pillar On The Bridge Of You" are flirting with College Rock for a second before the darker, more pensive "Seneca The Stoic" is surely one to resonate with all those quiet, not that outgoing Indie girls out there musically just to name a few. If you're planning to buy only one Indie album this season this might be the one to check.

Xtort - Live In Eindhoven [Dildo Action Records]

Put out on the circuit via Dildo Action Records as a hand-numbered and limited to 20 copies cassette tape on February 14th, 2k22 is "Live In Eindhoven", the latest physical release by the long-standing Dutch band outfit Xtort. Recorded live - well... obviously - at the famed Effenaar venue in Eindhoven in mid-2k20 the nine track showcase presents a thrilling impression of the bands high octane stage performance weighing in banging, surely Rave- / Sound Of Belgium-infused takes on EBM, classic and well dark'ish Goth romanticisms, dramatic Industrial workouts as well as a well surprising collage of DAF lyrics fused and (ab)used to form a megamix tribute to the legendary German Industrial / ElectroPunk duo as well as more uplifting and SynthPop leaning goodness. Plus - to complete the two digit number trackwise Xtort added a previously unreleased studio version of "Dreams Of Pleasure", a cover interpretation of the 1983 Antler Records single by the Belgian PostPunk-band Siglo XX which rounds things off with an undisputable dancefloor smasher on this hand-assembled and silver-spraypainted collectors item. Check.

Cassette artwork on Instagram!

Crush String Collective - Aeriform [Barkhausen Recordings 003]

Put out on the circuit via the relatively fresh imprint Barkhausen Recordings as its cat.no 003 on February 14th, 2k22 is "Aeriform", the debut album release conceived by the Danish Crush String Collective. Being a group effort created by a self-proclaimed non-hierarchical ensemble of seven musicians all based within the realm of Chamber Music the twelve improvisations rolled out over the course of 39 minutes total playtime do reflect exactly that in a free floating context as they present an intimate gathering of string instruments - two violins, two violas and three cellos - and their players which have broken away from, not with, a realm of standardized notations and guided tempos to create a sonic realm spanning from tender and fragile, still somewhat (Neo)Classical-related atmospheric sequences of naturalistic and subtle, yet recognizably Nordic beauty to tentatively plucked strings and Minimal Music references as well as multi-layered, intentionally off-kilter dynamics and short intense shrieking outbursts which - like in many other releases of this nature - are can be both challenging, demanding or thrilling, depending on the listeners individual knowledge of and experience within the genre, yet might be even more intriguing if one experiences the Crush String Collective live on stage to build not only an audible but also visible connection which makes it way easier to follow the individual paths of each musician throughout each piece. One for a predominantly avantgarde-leaning audience, this.

Black Mango - Quicksand [Gusstaff Records Promo]

Scheduled for release on April 29th, 2k22 via the Poland-based staple that is Gusstaff Records is "Quicksand", the first full length debut by Black Mango which basically could be described as a group x collective of musicians based in and around Mali's capital city Bamako. Somewhat led, steered and conceptually conceived by Philippe Sanmiguel who, as a studio producer, has worked with the likes of Samba Toure on many occasions we see the sound of Black Mango slowly unfold over the course of ten songs and a total runtime of 44 minutes, fusing modern sounds and recording techniques with traditional African x Malian vibes resulting in deep, somewhat even minimalistic cuts like the albums opener "Bakeina's Dream" which fuses echoes of Bass Music with Desert Blues x Desert Soul and echoes of echoes of Psychedelic Rock whilst the "Quicksand Blues" adds a decent 4/4 rhythm signature as well as Spoken Word lyricism and African chants to the mix for a Balearic sunset audience whereas other pieces incorporate elements of Dub, Downbeat and Triphop evoking memories of the deeper side of the sound of acts like Boozoo Bajou or Nightmares On Wax ("Golden Cage" / "Heaven Sands"), bring forth more of a super relaxed and slightly dubbed out Chill Out attitude ("Ghost Sands)" or more hypnotic, spine-tingling DesertBlues for those who loved Ambient House-related acts like the Stereo MC's in the early 90s ("Are U Satisfied?") just to name a few. Recommended. Go check.

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HOER - TV-Nation [Dildo Action Records]

Going way back to year 2000 with this review which covers the very first release of the Dutch imprint named Dildo Action Records, "TV-Nation" by HOER, a Dutch band outfit often classified to be operating in the realm between Industrial and Metal sonically and more importantly the womb which later gave birth to the band Xtort which we've reviewed on these pages back in the summer of 2k19. Now travelling back in time more than two decades after the initial release of "TV-Nation" the album still provides a sense of total urgency and apocalyptic dystopia from the very first seconds of the albums opening title track, moving forward into symphonic Industrial Metal drama with the aptly named "Symphony Of Despair" whereas "Anything" sticks out as a somewhat obscure fusion of Industrial sounds and uptempo mid- to early 90s Happy Rave which needs at least two minutes before it fully gels and sets dancefloors on fire thereafter. The "World Of Words" travels through dystopian soundscapes, "22 Souls Inside" once again focuses on HOER's more Metal-oriented side, heavy riffing and intense songwriting alongside bleeping, uplifting Techno synths whereas "Nightmare" fuses nightmare-inducing vocal samples and atmospheres with Drum'n'Bass / Jungle-infused beats and basslines on hyperspeed for a well interesting and dancefloor-rocking change whilst "Feed My Fetish" seemingly amalgamates Industrial vibes and a more BigBeat-leaning attitude which might resonate with fans of acts like Meat Beat Manifesto or early The Crystal Method and the likes of. Furthermore "Dawn" is in for another dramatic and surely cinematic instrumental interlude, "Timewarp" takes the bands Industrial Metal sound to new hammering high speed heights for a late climax and sheer dancefloor destruction before the concluding bonus track "Breakin' The Silence *The Ultraviolent Mix" provides more 4/4-based fodder for heaving peak time party floors filled with ecstatic creatures of the night, predominantly clad in black... or even darker colours. Nice one.

Park Jiha - The Gleam [Glitterbeat / Tak:til Promo]

Released via the Glitterbeat subsidiary Tak:til on February 25th, 2k22 is "The Gleam", the third full length album created and conceived by widely praised and critically acclaimed Korean composer Park Jiha who comes at us with a set of eight new pieces rolled out of pretty much exactly 50 minutes total playtime on this one. Originally created as special performance piece for an event to be at the Museum San in Wonju, South Korea and especially inspired by interaction of light and architecture in its so-called Meditation Hall Park Jiha's main and probably most apparent approach to the composition of "The Gleam" are textures and textural movements created on Korean instruments like piri, saenghwang and yanggeum alongside the more common glockenspiel which fall together in a spatial, minimalist manner forming a solitary sonic dimension paying homage to nocturnal Jazz Noir and skeletal DarkJazz as well as somewhat inward-looking Deep Listening Music, partially adorned with a slightly folksy or better naturalistic touch especially prevalent in bits like "Light Way" or the even more sparkling and joyful waves of the subsequent "A Day In..." whereas the, despite its fully acoustic nature, quite intense "The Way Of Spiritual Breath" is almost touching base with PostRock and the crystalline and well dreamy "Nightfall Dancer" might even resonate with fans of Contemporary Classical x (Neo)Classical music just to name a few. Deep.

Daniel Menche - Forlorn [Room40 Promo]

Put out on the tape circuit via Australia's ever active Room40-imprint on April 1st, 2k22 is "Forlorn", the latest cassette release by pioneering Portland / Oregon-based experimental electronic music composer Daniel Menche. Active on the circuit for more than three decades and probably best known and recognized for his glacial, oftentimes extended and slow moving works exploring the fringes of the audible spectrum Mr. Menche caters two extended pieces on this one with "Forlorn I" and "Forlorn II" which see electric, somewhat scientific midrange movements atop a foundation of ultra low frequency rumbles indeed inducing a feeling of iso- as well as desolation alongside a certain time dissolving quality inherent to many of Daniel Menche's work as well as many others within this field due to a lack of set sonic markers and quick, if any, repetition whilst otherworldly and somewhat siren'esque harmonic shifts lure one's soul in to follow the sound deeper and deeper into the depths of transdimensional nothingness. A well recommended excursion in sound for all fans and followers of all things Deep Listening Music and beyond.

Pascal Battus - Cymbale Ouverte [Akousis 003]

With its third release put on the circuit on April 1st, 2k22 the French imprint Akousis presents "Cymbale Ouverte", the latest musical outing by composer x improviser x sound artist Pascal Battus who managed to invent an entirely new instrument for the recording and creation of this album which is roughly based on the mechanical principle of the classic hurdy-gurdy despite being driven by an electric motor. Using this instruments' rotating surfaces in combination with cymbals as sole resonating bodies Pascal Battus' new body of work is comprised of four extented compositions with a total playtime of approx. 63 minutes,  opening with the slowly, yet ever evolving midrange droning of "Apre Voir" which soon places itself outside the regular space-time-continuum as a monolithic, self-contained and self-sufficient sonic entity, paving the way for all things to follow thereafter like the slighty off-kilter minimalistic ever morphing waves and high frequency pulses prevalent in "Indecent Indehiscent" whereas the 26 minutes spanning main piece "Entonnoi Tot" presents more of a brooding, ominous and partly Dark Ambient-leaning approach to sci-fi minimalism x Ambient futurism whilst the concluding cut that is "Ouvrage Ferme" comes full circle and rounds things off with an ever intensifying take on more dissonant layering in comparison to all its predecessors. Highly recommended for all fans of Minimal Music in its most minimal and abstract form.

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Isik Kural - In February [RVNG Intl. 077]

Released via the ever active imprint that is RVNG Intl. on March 25th, 2k22 is "In February", the sophomore album by Istanbul-born Glasgow resident Isik Kural. Within a total of 13 pieces rolled out over pretty much exactly half an hour total playtime Kural immerses himself in a world of tender, mostly loop-based structures which started to first emerge from a spark of inspiration which came to him throughout a session at the Babajim Recording Studios in his original hometown in 2019, bringing forth an oftentimes somewhat vintage sounding, yet sparkling and positive, frolicking take on Indietronica and deeply blurred, dreamlike Leftfield Pop which even weighs in folksy, naturalistic qualities in pieces like "Simdi Iki" or "Paperhat" whereas "Coral Gabels (feat. Spefy)" explores brittle, playful and overall lovely songwriting, "Sevidklerine" evokes faint memories of Aphex Twin's well underrated classic "Bucephalus Bouncing Ball" vibewise and bits like "Pineapple And Lime" provide sweet, caressing and washed out Ambient outtakes for those in the know - and for fans of the deeper side of acts like Boards of Canada to lay out a rough guideline of what is to be found on this album which seems to be step forward into new, formerly uncharted territories for the RVNG Intl. label as well. Check.

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Windemo & Strid / Wärnheim & Ingves - Split Series Vol.1 [Frim Records 003]

Released via the Swedish association for free improvised music and its associated label that is Frim Records on March 25th, 2k22 is "Split Series Vol. 1", the first in a series of albums setting out to combine the sound of different - probably radically different even - duos in one release. With the first four tracks provided by Mattias Windemo and Raymond Strid we're entering a world ruled by acoustic guitar and various percussive sources which is spread out into a tender, intimate, yet somewhat fragmented sonic experience including both elements somewhat reminiscent of FoundSound and random recordings as well as sequences of more composed and structured musicality and sonic integrity speaking to those who are not deeply entrenched in the field of Improv x Avantgarde music. For the second part, namely the 21+ minutes spanning piece that is "Jag Ser Ovädret" we see the pairing of Marcus Wärnheim and Karin Ingves combine their respective instruments, alto sax and piano, to create an ever meandering landscape of mostly improvised Jazz / FreeJazz romanticisms starting out from a point of nocturnal headphone listening only to move further into a partly dramatic, dynamic upward spiral to provide joy and depth for all dedicated genre connaisseurs for a reason. Despite being an all acoustic album the "Split Series Vol.1 " is by no means an easy one to wrap your head around and probably might need a few dedicated listening sessions to fully unfold its inherent layers and sonic potential.

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baze.djunkiii Charts 04/2k22

01. Bufobufo - Catch Wreck EP [Amen Tec 002]
See review for details...

02. DJ Pooch - The Skrufneck Strikes Back EP [Amen Brother]
See review for details...

03. The Duke Of Dub - Everything Gwan In [45Seven]
And here it. Another 7" bang0r churned out by the ever active label that is 45Seven, bringing forth two brand new cuts by The Duke Of Dub a.k.a. The Duke Of Juke a.k.a. Noizecreator and many other musical monikers who's perfectly fusing a dark'ish, spatial and well dubbed out attitude with rolling Jungle beats and a proper crimescene attitude for peak time dancefloor workouts. Pure tunage on this one.

04. Fozbee, Cooz & Smooth - Trip 950 EP [Amen Brother]
See review for details...

05. Jean Claude Nachon - La Femme Objet [Le Disques Le Culte 003]
What a beautiful album, this, which initially caught my attenttion at my regular dayjob at a vinyl distributors warehouse due to its epic - and admittedly sexy - cover artwork which already pointed towards quality Easy Listening and x-rated soundtrack music and that's exactly what Jean Claude Nachon's "La Femme Objet" is and provides. The formerly unreleased score to what seems to be a 1980's porn cult classic comes in with the exactly right amount of kitsch and cheese, uplifting bits of synth experimentation, dramatic Plastic Pop instrumentals, ncoturnal Jazz Noir and French melancholia one would expect from an album like this which makes this one a sweet listening experience not only for those who're missing a long gone vintage era of incredible soundtracks. They don't do them like this anymore so especially make sure to check out "Kim, Prise Femelle Pour Male En Panne" as well as "Recontre Du Troisieme Sexe","Amour Melancolique Et Plaisirs Mecaniques" and "Supernaturiste" which single-handedly make "La Femme Objet" a worthwhile addition to your collection.

06. Sven Weisemann - Limerence Toolz Vol. 1 [Frekoba 001]
Quite an unusual 12" release for Sven Weisemann who ventures off into tool'ish, muffled and slightly washed out, yet skillfully crafted House and DeepHouse territories for intimate club settings whilst adding only a minimum of his trademark dubbed out vision to the mix. One for all purveyors of original DJ culture, preferring their tools of choice raw, unpolished and powerful.

07. Ellis Dee - Rock To The Max / Dance Factor *Boykz & Chapman Remixes [Amen Brother]
See review for details...

08. Moy - Jovian Sunrise EP [Amen Tec 001]
See review for details...

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Various Artists - Katacombe Vol. 3 [Korm Plastics D 003]

Another one put out on the cassette tape circuit once again by the Korm Plastics D-camp in April of 2k21 is "Katacombe Vol. 3", the third issue of the 80s Industrial x Avantgarde x Power Electronics compilation series which was initially released via Schrei Records back in 1984. With the original audio being restored and remastered by Radboud Mens this numbered and limited to 100 copies edition brings back long lost cuts by acts like De Fabriek, Zombies Under Stress, Kapotte Muzik, Friends In Low Places, Arthur Berkhoff and others, offering a highly interesting, yet sonically partially disturbing glimpse into the ever active underground Industrial scene of the time which embraced elements inspired by ecstatic polyrhythmic tribal drumming alongside longing, braincell dissolving screeches as well as fever'ish, yet weirdly uplifting Minimal Electronics, grinding, desolate Rhythm Industrial, hypnotic echoes of avantgarde (No)Wave and (Post)PostPunk, hollow, metallic minimalist SynthWave, early, almost scientific sounding electronic sound experiments, twisted guitar feedbacks, haunting atmospheres, ProtoIndustrial driven by lo-fi drum machines and even highly experimental, yet distinct Dub influences which, in this combination, make "Katacombe Vol. 3" an excellent listening experience and an essential throwback into electronic music history. Get!

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