00:00:00 1 Gauss – Latent Space 00:05:47 2 Krol & Aman Umber – Feel The B 00:10:53 3 Na Nich – Unfulfilled Expectations 00:16:25 4 Skinny Norris – Get My Love (Estimulo Edit) 00:22:17 5 Guedra Guedra – Drift Of Drummer 00:25:00 6 Baby Ford – Ford Trax (Mark Broom Edit) 00:29:16 7 Miles J Paralysis – Until The End 00:35:30 8 The Jaffa Kid – From Within 00:39:50 9 Intertoto – If I Take You Home (Michael J. Blood’s Morning After Mix) 00:44:37 10 Jah Wobble, Jaki Liebezeit, Holger Czukay – How Much Are They (Edit By Mr. K) 00:51:45 11 DJ Narciso – Sunset 00:53:53 12 DJ Narciso – Teleguio 00:56:18 13 Jung An Tagen – 10-RSP-MIX (DJ Nervoso RMX) 00:59:21 14 Guedra Guedra – Paradigm 01:02:22 15 Propaganda – Love:Craft (Pyrolator Remix) 01:06:45 16 Roto – Mutant 01:12:51 17 Future Drum Circle – The Dante Portal 01:16:22 18 Champion, Sammy Virji & IRAH – Dis Badman 01:18:55 19 Goat Series – Mash Up Dela Soul Tribe Called Quest 01:24:08 20 James Massiah Meets Lord Tusk – Might Be The One 01:27:47 21 Josi Devil – No More 01:32:49 22 C&CF – No Fool Love 01:37:11 23 Roto – Lluna Plena 01:41:24 24 Roto – Asch Project 01:48:53 25 Benedikt Montiel Mathews – Downhill 01:53:35 26 Halima – Eleven Eleven 01:56:20 27 Magugu & Le Motel – Believe 01:59:03 28 Dynatron – Android Blaze 02:06:42 29 Kadhja Bonet – Don’t Count On Us 02:08:18 30 Mod Sens – Bridges 02:12:57 31 Spiritual Rockers – East To West [part 2] 02:16:05 32 Delian Sound – Gangsta 02:19:38 33 Reel By Real – Surkit (Calibre Remix) 02:24:51 34 Dynatron – Kids And Batteries 02:28:23 35 Dynatron – Synthetic Life 02:32:21 36 Lukid – Underhand Brokery
Although Rabih Beaini sure likes to improvise (check him performing live with his analogue setup whenever you can), he has managed to develop a puzzling signature sound that is as rough and ready as it is beautifully textured and detailed. In comparison to this album, most of 2011’s other productions in electronic music sound like wringing a handful of mediocre ideas to death with a considerable array of gadgets, but no result. Truly individual music from a true individual.
02. Reel By Real: Surkit Chamber – The Melding (Artless)
Considering how long Martin Bonds was an active part of Detroit Techno’s history books, the actual released output was irritatingly scarce. Listening to 2010’s retrospective on the same label, I had the feeling that he was perfectly fine with keeping his back catalogue slim but impressive. And then this came along, a collection of more recent tracks, and I just felt grateful that this lovingly curated album made public what could have been missed so easily, yet again. Employing a much wider set of references, this is the sound of Motor City transcending the paralysis of its own tradition and then some.
03. Jeff Mills: Star Chronicles – Orion (Axis)
Admittedly some of the most determined space traveller’s recent output is not without flaws, but never enough so as to get me tired of his ongoing mission to refine his sound. Still, every single one of his releases seems to be more unique and consequent than the majority of Techno productions some are ready to dismiss him for. He has created his own universe, and he roams in it. His music has surpassed club credentials, and even if some of his concepts may be pretentious, I would never blame him for pursuing his interests and painting them with his increasingly more spaced-out sounds that are so obviously his own. Let others try to reach the point where they become their own reference. Most will be forgotten when Jeff Mills will be heading for yet another galaxy.
So many tales about the ruthless business tactics of the early Chicago House labels, and unfortunately most of them are true. I don’t even want to know how many gems have never seen the light of day because not every artist was willing and able to take a stand against that. I’m just grateful that sometimes things turn out how they should have, no matter how long it takes. This box set has not a track on it without the power to name and shame legions of clueless copycats. It is a testimony to musicians doing music because they just have to, even without anybody even having the chance to notice it. For every House afficionado still admiring the sheer beauty of their original Trax releases, they did more, in more styles, and now, at last, it can be heard.
05. Surgeon: Breaking The Frame (Dynamic Tension)
It is almost ridiculous that Surgeon is regularly drawn into the debate about what will become of Dubstep since it embraced Techno. For certain, he does not have to worry to deliver less in a genre newly discovered than in a genre left behind. Both Dubstep and Techno owe a lot to his work as DJ and producer, and this album does not even stress that, it just shows how he keeps getting better and better with what he does, and how he will thus be ever important to what is going on.
It seemed that as soon as rumour spread about the two collaborating in a session, the album was about to be released. But it certainly does not sound like a quickfire result. It is impressively accomplished, and already after a short while in, you begin to care less about who contributed what to the proceedings. It is just what modern electronic music should sound like when two major talents get together and nothing less. Keep the continuum and post-whatever talk for those who artistically vanish trying.
07. Container: LP (Spectrum Spools)
And suddenly, among all the good ole warehouse days mimicry, be it by means of analogue equipment or software replica, appeared this album. And it blew most of the competition to bits. I still do not know much about the artist nor do I care. I just hope he continues with this considerably psychotic and no less gripping take on the sounds of way back when and transforming it into something way ahead. A fine example for that it is always better to deconstruct than to reconstruct your references. It just lasts longer.
08. Drums Off Chaos + Jens Uwe Beyer: Drums Off Chaos + Jens Uwe Beyer (Magazine)
One of the most interesting German labels around. All their releases so far do not only look great, they sound great as well. I do not have the slightest doubt that it will be this way for quite some time to come. I’m not particularly knowledgeable in the Krautrock area but enough to maintain that the label’s initial agenda to fuse the modern sound of Cologne with the vintage sound of the German experimental ‘70s is so well-executed that it not only matters but becomes something else entirely. And I trust those people to come up with surprises as well. This project is of course already convincing by the names of the people involved. Jaki Liebezeit is not one to rely on past laurels, and his drumming is as tight and complex as ever, plus it mingles perfectly with the sounds of Beyer’s synths. The generation gap is hereby closed.
I can quite understand some people having their doubts about the music of Ekoplekz. To the passing listener it might seem chaotic, unstructured, aimless even. Retrofuturism drawer opens, Ekoplekz disappears. I, however, am old enough to vividly remember the vast output of the ‘80s tape circuit and all the wonderful ideas that came with it. And the ideas of Ekoplekz are so wonderful that they merit whatever release he has in mind. Kudos to Punch Drunk for featuring someone not afraid to merge the UK progress in bass and beats with sounds lifted from a romantic take on all the library musicians and electronic sound experimentalists who never had their say. Keep soldering that DIY gear and make me happy!
10. Kid Creole & The Coconuts: I Wake Up Screaming (Strut)
Of course the Kid’s comeback could not compare to the masterpieces of his past. The Coconuts are not the same, nor is his band. But as with his cohort Coati Mundi’s recent album, the lyricist wit is still there, as are some of the songs. As if I would mind. For me August Darnell is a genius and forever will be, and just to know that he keeps on doing what he is doing is well enough for me.
In discussion with Luke Solomon about “Snow Borne Sorrow” by Nine Horses (2005).
How did you come across “Snow Borne Sorrow”? Was it out of a longtime fondness for David Sylvian’s work?
First and foremost, I am a huge fan, probably since the age of 11. “Snow Borne Sorrow” I was actually turned on to by one of my oldest and closest friends. It was only a couple of weeks after release.
Why did you decide to discuss this album, and not another one of his many remarkable records? What makes this so special to you?
There are records and there are records. That’s my philosophy. I’ll elaborate. We all know the classics, there are lists of those everywhere. But I believe in personal classics. This to me, is music that happens along at a poignant time in your life. The stars are aligned, and bang, it’s like a spark, and epiphany. A moment that can be deemed as a marker. “Oh, that was the Snow Borne Sorrow time.” Or something. That was the “Snow Borne Sorrow part” of my life.
How would you describe “Snow Borne Sorrow”, also in comparison to other music Sylvian was involved with?
More than anything, on first listen it was the sound and the maturity of his voice. I listened to it recently on an 8000 pound pair of speakers, and I was blown away by the detail. Incredible. And then there are the songs, the subject matter, the arrangements. I could go on.
Dies ist der Nachfolger des ersten ‘Secret Rhythms’-Albums von 2002 und abermals gelingen Friedman und Liebezeit schöne Exkursionen zwischen Elektronika und Jazz. Liebezeit ist und bleibt ein Ausnahme-Schlagzeuger, der kompakt die vielen melancholischen Klänge zusammenhält, die Friedman aus seinem Archiv beigibt. Die beiden wissen ziemlich genau, wie man die Inhaltstoffe dosiert. So klingen die getragenen Momente nicht tranig und die komplexen Momente nicht verfrickelt. Für diesen winterlichen Flow hätten sie auch keinen geeigneteren Gastsänger finden können als David Sylvian, der auf ‚The Librarian’ ganz der wehmütige Crooner sein darf, der er immer sein sollte. Dieses Album sollte man am besten allein in einem verfallenden Landsitz hören, in dem einzigen Raum der noch beheizt ist.
The sad truth about going out in the 80s in a small coastal town: Even if you read all the right magazines, had knowledgeable and smilarly enthusiastic friends, and kept on digging all the time. It just did not mean that you could actually dance in a club to what you just discovered. That does not mean the DJs were bad, but a lot of them were a bit lazy. If a sequence of songs worked, it was repeated for quite a while. And music was played in topical blocks. You had an italo disco round, then maybe a goth round, new wave, 2 tone, synthpop. If you came in and you just missed your preference you had to wait. Thankfully a lot of music at the time was good and interesting enough to make that bearable. But there was so much incredible music coming out, it was just frustrating that you could only hear a fraction of it in the clubs you had most frequent access to. I must admit I compensated that for many years, playing as much different music on the same occasion as I could, and often it did not make much sense. In any case a lot of mixes I did were some kind of ideal party that rarely happened, for a particular style of music or several at once. This mix is a good example, even if at the time I recorded it my situation in those aspects had already changed quite a bit. But it seems I could still remember…
Pere Ubu – The Modern Dance The Flying Lizards – Her Story Hot Gossip – Geisha Boys And Temple Girls Telex – Raised By Snakes The Bollock Brothers – The President And The Showgirl New Order – The Perfect Kiss Strawberry Switchblade – Since Yesterday Holger Czukay/Jah Wobble/Jaki Liebezeit – How Much Are They? The Fun Boy Three – Life In General Visage – Anvil (Night Club School) The Residents – Diskomo The Stickmen – Do Get Down Devo – Freedom Of Choice Yello – Base For Alec Human League – The Sound Of The Crowd Heaven 17 – (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang Matia Bazar – Elettrochoc Cabaret Voltaire – Nag Nag Nag Tuxedomoon – No Tears Suicide – Dream Baby Dream John Cale – I Keep A Close Watch
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