Steve Piccolo - Domestic Exile [Mental Experience 029 Promo]

Scheduled to be re-issued as a remastered version via Mental Experience on March 12th, 2k20, actually 38 years after its initial release is "Domestic Exile", the debut solo album by The Lounge Lizards founding member Steve Piccolo. Recorded as a side project whilst splitting his life between a hard working Wall Street daylife and nights spent in the active NYC No Wave / Artschool / PostPunk underground the twelve songs on this roughly 40 minutes spanning longplayer present an intimate, yet captivating and somewhat desolate take on minimalist, somewhat Spoken Word-infused Artschool SynthPop and Leftfield Wave in several aspects reminiscent of the German, mostly Berlin-based, Ingenious Dilletantes-scene, focusing on raw, oftentimes collage'esque experimentalism and cut up rather than the contemporary dancefloors of the times albeit cuts like "Young And Ambitious" are defo moving bodies of certain creatures of the night for a reason whilst "Fast Life" presents a playful take on tempo shiftings caused by warbled, effed up cassette tape, the "Businessman's Lament" indulges in deepest, self-reflective melancholia and capitalist madness, "Superior Genes" result in a sensibility for stripped down, autumnal piano etitudes as well as raw Blues-infused guitar progressions alongside simple, yet beautiful songwriting whereas "I Don't Want To Join A Cult" brings forth a strange, quirky joyfulness in Industrial Daytime Radio Pop just to pick a few tunes out of this highly recommended album. Get.

Promo artwork on Instagram!

The Bureau Of Atomic Tourism - Eden [Rat Records 042 / Werkplaats Walter 004]

Released as a conjunctional project of both Rat Records and Werkplaats Walter on November 29th, 2k19 is "Eden", the latest album outing by The Bureau Of Atomic Tourism and the groups first full length release after their 2015 album "Hapax Legomena". Still operating in a sextet mode with Teun Verbuggen in the leading position and Jozef Dumoulin being put in charge as the main writer and composer for the fourteen cuts featured on "Eden" the ensembles music is as dense and energetic as ever, with the multilayered, brooding and well thundering Avantgarde Jazz / FreeJazz opener "De Teun Van Eden" paving the way for things to come, pieces like the subsequent, more romantic and comforting "Love And Things 1", the deep, fragile and athmospheric vibes in the ever floating, grooving, yet beat abstraction driven "Two Part Oven In Thin Eleven" losing itself in various states of experimentalism over the course of a little more than eight minutes, "Search Ends When Sharing Starts" wandering in between dope beats and killer Desert Rock / PostRock attitude whilst the "B Minor Blues" is in for more laid back, Jazz-driven dopeness alongside ear-piercing midrange atmospheres and chaotic, shrieking, threatening breakdown sequences just to pick a few examples out of this intense 52 minute journey. As avantgarde as Contemporary Avantgarde / Experimental Jazz can be.

Album artwork on Instagram!

baze.djunkiii Chart Haul 02/2k20

Heisig / Klare [Umland Records 029]

Released via the Essen / Germany-based imprint Umland Records as the labels cat.no. 030 is this first ever collaborational album realized by Jan Klare and Wolfgang Heisig, combining their individual favorite instruments - saxophone and phonola - over the course of six tracks and a total of roughly 30 minutes runtime. With the phonola as the more unusual and supposedly widely unknown instrument here - a self-playing machine operating a piano via the use of musical information stored on a paper roll which functions essentially like an old-fashioned punch card in ancient computer technology, transferring information into mechanical action via a roll-to-piano converter - playing an essential role in laying the foundation of the conjunctional and compositional work in terms of providing a basic pre-programmed, sometimes mechanical, sometimes thundering and sometimes well swinging groove like in the "Study For Player Piano #3b" or in the hounded, over the top hectic "Prinzenrolle" to which Jan Klare adds an accompanying layer of oftentimes eruptive, FreeJazz-/ Improv-informed saxophone playing this might be the most conceptual album work released by Umland Records so far, catering to those connaisseur types who like to explore the more extreme edges of the genre whilst those  looking for more comforting and easy to grasp sounds might be gravitating towards other releases out of the labels catalogue.

Enemigos Del Silencio - Lost In Space [Gusstaff Records Promo]

Scheduled for release via the Polish label Gusstaff Records on February 28th, 2k20 is "Lost In Space", the new musical outing brought to us by Szczecin-based quartet Enemigos Del Silencio which are employing an arsenal of two guitars, bass and drums to embark on their unique musical journey. Spanning a total of seven tracks and 39 minutes runtime Enemigos Del Silencio are exploring a musical universe both informed by PostPunk, psychedelic (Neo)Kraut and KrautDisco - think Padded Cell here - as well as a heavy wall of sound production attitude and a hefty, well muscular dancefloor drive, all paired up with space-related, high octane Rock riffing and a raw, down to earth DesertRock attitude somewhat reminiscing of bands like the Swedish outfit The Skull Defekts, weighing in a well hypnotic, captivating attitude for those who know. Recommended, this - especially for the Punk'ish peaktime anthem "Wild Life" and the Crossover-leaning moshpit killer that's "Going In!".

Large Unit Fendika - Ethiobraz [PNL Records 049]

Released on December 13th, 2k19 via the ever active, highly experimental PNL Records label run by Paal Nilssen-Love is "Ethiobraz", the latest album outing created by Large Unit Fendika, a new mutation of the Large Unit-unit which is joined by no-one less than Terrie Ex for this longplayer, longtime standing music activist in his own right as well as expert and overall hub when it comes to the music scene of Ethiopia, and the Ethiopian dance / music ensemble Fendika. This knowledge in conjunction with Paal Nilssen-Love's love for the music of Brazil lays the foundation for this album, a multinational crossover attempt to fuse music from both countries within ten tracks played, performed and shaped by a total than more than 20 - sic!!! - contributing members of the ensemble in the live context of 2018's Molde Jazz Festival where the different influences merged perfectly and instantaneously, creating powerful Jazz-lead AfroBeat pieces like "Anbessa", hard hitting AfroFunk cuts like "Fluku" or high octane PowerJazz for well groovy dancefloors worldwide, best represented in the tongue-cheek over the top piece "Shellele" which could be easily used to accompany an action-laden chase and escape scene in a classy, long forgotten espionage flic of sorts and therefore turns out to be our favorite cut on "Ethiobraz" for a reason. Check!

Album artwork on Instagram!

Sascha Müller - Cannonball Fever [Urbangroove Records 021 Promo]

Fresh on the circuit via Urbangroove Records as the labels cat.no. 021 is the new single by German underground producer Sascha Müller, who's been an ever active staple in terms of quality electronic music for more than two decades now. The original version of "Cannonball Fever" caters roughly seven minutes of deep, floating Intelligent Techno / Ambient Trance for advanced late night rides and musically experienced dancefloors whilst the second cut, the "Cannonball Fever *Jalex (Italy) Remix", provides a more peaktime leaning feel presenting a muscular drum set, cold panoramic strings and obvious DubTechno references for a precisely cut journey into the depths of exoterrestrial space.   

Daspo - Samenreis [Setola Di Maiale]

Put on the circuit via the Italian avant-garde record label Setola Di Maiale is "Samenreis", the first ever collaborational mini album installation created by Davide Palmentiero and Giuseppe Pisano. Consisting of five tracks recorded and produced in an anechoic chamber located in Utrecht, Netherlands the album spans a little more than a total of 20 minutes, with the opener "Overvecht" leading into a realm of pure sound, bringing forward a floating, time-defying Ambient attitude paired with highly digital crackles, rumbles and morphings as well elements related to genres like Clicks'n'Cuts whereas "Lorentzweg" is leaning into a solemn, yet partly brooding and somewhat ritualistic direction with its mystical atmosphere and gong-like intro sequence as well as surprisingly tender PostRock / Post-PostRock resembling guitars appearing around halfway through the tracks playtime. The subsequent "Hollandsche Rading" employs interesting and well hypnotizing reprocessed violin pulses for an intro and pairs them with structures reminiscent of both Tangerine Dream / Klaus Schulze and some more experimental Pink Floyd cuts, "Oudegracht" seemingly follows a more twangy, collage'esque pathway whilst playing around with dreamy guitars, Found Sounds, Field Recordings and certain influences taken from Musique Concrete before "Schiphol" weighs in the duos most intense, droning and fever'ish musical outing on this release, caterings a dark bass drone, intense outerworldly eruptions and ghostly noises as a spine-tingling amalgamation of kinda score'esque UnAmbient quality. File under: Deep Listening Music.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Afflicted - Santa Muerte [Basic Avenue Records Promo]

Fresh on the digital circuit via Basic Avenue Records is "Santa Muerte", the new single outing created by German underground Techno duo Afflicted. Opening with the title track "Santa Muerte" we see the two producers approach the genres dark side with sharp, highly sculpted percussions, ghostly sound bits and an overall low end attitude evoking memories of the paranoid, threatening vibe employed by producers like The Horrorist and the likes of on a regular whilst "Going", the second cut on this single, is in for a highly functional, driving Techno vibe somewhat reminiscent of classic The Advent productions - yes, we're talking pre-2000 here, whilst weighing super compressed, reverberating bassdrums and bits of atmospheric mysticism vibewise. Proper good.

2121 - Vol.2 [2121-02]

Incoming these days via the mysterious 2121-imprint is the second outing by the artist of the same name who, once again, releases a fresh, untitled one-sided 12" with "Vol.2" which will only be manufactured and hand-cut on demand for those ordering this piece via the labels Bandcamp page. This time on a pounding low-end Techno tip paired with a stripped down bleep melody, somewhat Trance-leaning vocals and soft, melodic string arrangements this one is more on the tool'ish side of things, well-functional to keep crowds moving in the wee hours after a long night of hefty raving.

Katariin Raska & Christian Meaas Svendsen - Finding Ourselves In All Things [Nakama Records 020]

Put on the circuit via Norway's Nakama Records imprint on December 13th, 2k19 is "Finding Ourselves In All Things", the first ever conjunctional album created by Katariin Raska and Christian Meaas Svendsen despite both having shared the stage in the same band, ÄIO, led-by Raska for years now. This cross-national collaboration between Estland-born Raska and Norwegian Nakama Records-manager Christian Meaas Svendsen results in two tracks stretched over the course of 33 minutes. "Melting With Butterflies" sees the duo on a shrieking, primordial and untamed tip into FreeJazz / Free Improv, bringing forth fever'ish background drums and an ever alarming feel of constant agitation whilst "The Way Mountains Make Love" is taking a totally different route, presenting a dark, fully organic low end Drone composition which is surely setting out to specially please all the Dark Ambient connaisseurs out there in terms of approaching the genre from a different angle whilst slowly progressing into slow, yet intense and slighty off-Jazz infused movements throughout the tracks' total runtime of a little more than 19 minutes.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Hopper - Hopper [Gusstaff Records Promo]

Put out on the circuit via the Polish imprint Gusstaff Records only recently is "Hopper", the debut album by the quartet of the same name - Hopper - which consists of the Wolow-based artists Marcin Loks, Tomasz Sztrekier, Konrad Fedorczak and Mateusz Skrzypicki which are catering a four track firstling spread over the course of roughly 44 minutes with this one. Opening with "Rydygiera" Hopper are paving the way for things to come with beautifully floating Ambient textures, an ever rolling PostRock vibe as well as yearning trumpet melancholia in a kind of of call and response dialogue with distinct, yet laid back electric guitars whereas "Ebbbing" goes down a similar alley but leans more towards a masterly sculpted variation of DesertRock / Desert Blues backed by screaming vocals interestingly appearing in the very back of the mix only. Furthermore we see "Kazu", our favorite cut on this album, coming at us in a brooding, thundering fashion presenting an overall feel of darkness and danger in disguise in combination with a captivating, ever progressing electric guitar motif announcing forthcoming cataclysms before the final cut "1285" is waving goodbye on a more positive, lively and playful note in terms of PostRock, weighing in a slightly Dub-related feel even whilst frolicking guitars and, once again, yearning trumpet tones resemble the overall feel of a hot, maybe a little too hot, and flickering summers day. Quality.

Boddhi Satva - Boddhi Satva 18 [BBE Music]

Scheduled for release via BBE Music on March 20, 2k20 is "Boddhi Satva 18", the forthcoming 2xCD anniversary album marking the eighteenth year in the business for the Central African Republic born DJ, producer, remixer, label head and overall whirlwind within the House music scene with a selection of 16 tracks, collaborations and remix works - many of them under the beloved Ancestral Soul moniker - reflecting on the current state of sound of the man himself. With House Music as the foundation for Boddhi Satva's sonic musings and, more specific DeepHouse being one of the pillars of his work ever since, tunes like the chill, hypnotic and somewhat balearic opener "Bria's Offering" set the tone for things to come with loose tribal rhythms, endless grooves and even a yearning electric guitar perfectly blending in to the mix whilst "Belma Belma", a collaboration with Maalem Hamman caters proper percussive peak time intensity to the sets of any advanced House Music selecta and connaisseur out there with driving rhythm stabs and captivating African chants whereas the "Big Theme" causes havoc on both TechHouse- and ElectroHouse-floors with its intense, siren'esque strings and distinctly crunched synth motif and the 'Ancestral Soul Mix' of DJ Pippi vs Danny Marquez feat. Marcel fuses deep Jamaican wisdom with anthemic, organic House Music for a massive win. On Disc 2 Boddhi Satva's collaboration with vocalist Yuba weighs in more peaktime Ragga House vibes for heaving dancefloors, his 'Ancestral Soul Mix' for Jay Tripwire's "Into The Shadows" is on a well spaced out, deep and dubby TechHouse tip whereas V's "Born Again (Boddhi Satva & Mr. V Retouch)" provides a perfect example of Mr. Satva's long standing work and business relationship with Mr. Louie Vega a.k.a. Mr. V - resulting in a super smooth, slick take on high quality DeepHouse for those in the know, just to name a few of our favorite cuts on this album. Check.

Vladislav Delay - Raamat (2020 Remaster)

It's been 20 years since the initial release of Vladislav Delay's "Raamat" and the dubbed out Ambient Techno vibes are as captivating as ever - and will be available as a remastered 2xLP vinyl edition via Keplar Records from March 20th, 2k20 onwards.

Chantal Dumas - Oscillations Planetaires [Empreintes Digitales]

Another fresh one released via Montreal's Empreintes Digitales label is "Oscillation Planetaires", the first ever solo album by Chantal Dumas. Created as a commissioned work for German radio programme Deutschlandfunk Kultur we see Dumas tackle the topic of geology with this one, especially the topic of geologic and tectonic movements and vibrations happening in different, mostly irregular, time scales to be more precise. Facing this task the result is an oftentimes sparse and spatial, partially also large scale dramatic journey through Dark Ambient and Ambient, at times surely influenced by Cosmic and (Neo)Cosmic as well as misty ethereal, outerworldy harmonic shifts and movements, subsurface crackles, grinding mass movements, subaquatic modular noises, haunting sweeps and more, all in their entirety sonically depicting the steady geologic processes having shaped the face of our planet for eons and still continually, yet slowly shaping its face up to this day. Our favorite cut: "Maree Crustale". File under: conceptualism in full effect.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Pet Shop Boys - Hotspot [X2 Recordings]

After taking a closer look at their "Dreamland" single as a first outtake from their most recent longplayer in December, 2k19 it is now time for us to fully inspect "Hotspot", the new full length album created by SynthPop / ElectroPop staples that are the Pet Shop Boys. With their third album produced by Stuart Price the duo serves a ten track, 42 minute spanning menu of goodness and well... even 37 - !!! - years after their first self-titled demo cassette the UK's most famous and most successful duo is still on fire. Sticking true to their dramatic, dancefloor oriented trademark sound they've employed from day dot the duo of Chris Lowe and Neill Tennant deliver big time with killer singles like "Will-O-The-Wisp", the anthemicly uplifting "Happy People" or the heavily Disco-infused "Monkey Business" whilst beautiful love songs like "You Are The One", "Only The Dark" or the slightly dubbed out, captivating "Hoping For A Miracle" bring out the more romantic, ballad'esque and surely classy side of the Pet Shop Boys' musical universe once again, proving why they're still one of the worlds most beloved outfits of all time. Yet, apart from making slight adjustments in terms of production techniques to make their songs still suitable for today's dancefloor the album doesn't deliver anything groundbreakingly new or experimental but caters exactly what one would expect from the boys in 2k20 - no matter if you haven't been following all the way through since the 80s or haven't paid attention for a decade or more. 'Never change a winning team or a formula that's working well', they say and this is exactly true for what makes the Pet Shop Boys' career one of the most consistent and long lasting in Pop Music history ever. Jolly good. 

Stephane Roy - L'Inaudible [Empreintes Digitales]

Released only recently via the 1990-established imprint Empreintes Digitales is "L'Inaudible", the third full lenght album effort by Montreal-based composer Stephane Roy. Working on the acousmatic side of things we see Roy presenting a selection of seven pieces on this longplayer, all created within the past twelve years with some being finished in multiple sessions spread over several years. Opening with "Maelström" the first step of the musical journey is a twisted, whirling and grinding piece built from cold digital Noize eruptions regularly, yet irregularly bending, twisting and interrupting tender, and partly dramatic, Ambient atmospheres in a collage'esque manner whereas the "Train D'Enfer" brings tension in form of dark, brooding atmospheres and various scraping, clanging metal pieces before the subsequent triplet of "Section 1 - 3" provides a perfectly intense, nerve-wrecking score of sorts for your favorite underground psycho horror flic out of the 60s or 70s. "Les Aurores Pourpres" first sees Stephane Roy on a fragile, ethereal Deep Listening Music tip, slowly progressing from a minimalist approach into large scale drama with hefty sonic masses grinding and shifting within the stereo field before making way for spatial sparseness once again, "Les Territoires Secrets" caters cold, quivering and somewhat retrofuturist Ambient pulses which are evoking echoes of memories of very early Oval works and other intense, experimental Deep Listening adventures of the late 90s alongside various background rumblings, sounds of pouring liquids and short percussive eruptions before the final cut named "Voices Crepusculaires" ventures off into solemn Dark Ambient territories with a certain cut-up twist paired with (Neo)Classical influences to provide a closing for a well meandering, varied and close to indescribable journey into one of the most experimental spheres of the electronic music scene in terms of compositional approach.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Wako - Wako [Øra Fonogram]

Scheduled for release on February 21st, 2k20 via Øra Fonogram is "Wako", the fourth album by the quartet of the same name - Wako -, comprised of Martin Myhre Olsen, Kjetil Andre Mulelid, Bardur Reinert Paulsen and Simon Olderskog Albertsen. Following up to their 2018-released "Urolige Sinn" the new 13 track longplay piece aims to reflect on and upon the groups experiences as an ever touring quartet, delivering quite a few surprises like the somewhat super romantic, overwhelmingly kitschy score piece "For Those We Love" which functions as a large scale opener for the full on 56 minutes spanning musical journey which furthermore brings epic goodness in modernist Dancefloor Jazz cuts like "Wako Amok", a piece that easily cut've found a place on one of the first three editions of the legendary 'Future Sound Of Jazz' compilation series vibewise despite being completely non-electronic, whereas "Brain Drain" is a quite complex, multi-layered affair of 90 seconds total playtime,"Hele Verden Er En Boble" brings forth a classic, well-driving uptempo swing for jazzfloors on full on fire, the "Grown-Up Life" is a thrilling, piano-led whirlwind of playful, captivating joy and positivity whilst "When Starring Into The Light, We Think", one of the three bonus pieces on this album, even harks back to more formal and intimate slow dancing in an upper class cocktail setting just to name a few of our favorites here. Defo one to check out for all the Jazz lovers out there.

Xotox - UFO [Infacted Recordings Promo]

Shortly after signing a deal with his new label Infacted Recordings we see Andreas Davids a.k.a. Xotox coming at us with a brand new single - "UFO". Featuring the original version plus a whole bunch of six additional remixes plus the bonus instrumental of "Wir Haben Die Wirklichkeit Zerstört" the German EBM / Industrial / HardTechno producer is catering to his fans big time, delivering a highly compressed, dystopian take on stomping, mechanical Industrial Techno as intense and threatening as being surrounded by barrage fire on a modern battlefield - and even fuses this already overwhelming sonic experience with recorded snippets from the twilight zone of UFO conspiracy documentaries to even intensify the feel of sheer brutality and unfiltered, soul-piercing angst. Using and abusing this as a foundation for their own interpretation we see remixers like ES23, Wesenberg, MS Gentur, Probe, Pete Crane and Laermpegel take "UFO" into a whole range of different directions from muscular, Rave-focused ElectroTechno - yes, think the likes of Empirion here... - merged with uplifting CyberTrance / CyberGoth elements to hard hitting, distorted, distortion-ridden and ultracompressed Broken IndustrialTechno as well as storming, Trance-infused bigroom madness and even stripped down, masterly crafted Drum'n'Bass pressure whereas the additional bonus cut presents a return to Xotox's trademark musical ultraviolence and pure vantablack darkness. Check.

Promo artwork on Instagram!

P.T.B.S. & Sascha Müller - Deep Flow [Technocracy Records]

Out on the digital circuit via Technocracy Records is "Deep Flow", the most recent collaborational effort by both Uelsen-based producers P.T.B.S. and Sascha Müller. Whilst the title track sees the two Techno veterans going for a mechanical, spiralling yet somewhat tool'ish version of dark, braincell shredding late night Techno based on a single basic, ever modulated main motif leading into a more ethereal Trance vibe over the course of the tracks playtime the second cut named "Bees" is in for an even heavier take on the genre, evoking memories of legendary tunes like The Horrorist's "One Night In N.Y.C." or "Mission Ecstasy 2003" with its growling, threatening and well paranoid low end, eerie atmospheres and distinct, ever moving Techno stabs. One for the darkest hours of a night out.

Afflicted - Hass & Liebe [Klinik:Room Recordings]

Put out on the digital circuit only recently via Klinik:Room Recordings is "Hass & Liebe", a new single outing crafted by the German production team Afflicted. With "Hass" the two producers are creating a brutal and dark'ish, somewhat muffled take on spatial contemporary Techno surely infused by echoes of echoes of Hardcore whilst driving tripped out punters mad with eerie, highly processed vocal samples and a brain-drilling Acid line whereas "Liebe" follows a more uplifting, Rave-focused approach in terms of fusing muscular Bigroom Techno and high quality Trance vibes whilst providing a super massive Breakbeat / Chemical Breaks breakdown sequence for maximum dancefloor madness. Killer sounds.

Olivia Louvel - SculptOr (Hepworth Resounds) [Cat Werk Imprint 014]

Scheduled for release via Cat Werk Imprint on February 7th, 2k20 as the labels cat.no. 014 is "SculptOr (Hepworth Resounds)", a new conceptual album piece by long standing experimental sound artist Olivia Louvel who is re-imagining original sound / voice recordings of sculptor Barbara Hepworth in this piece. With the voice recordings being captured nearly six decades ago by Hepworth herself in her 1961 studio and re-sculpted by Louvel for this 34 minutes spanning longplay piece we see the opening track "Use Your Own Body" pave the way for things to come, a very physical alteration of the voice, with fragments taken out of context and being re-arranged within a very present, sometimes even physically felt sonic environment, partly using and abusing techniques taken from Plunderphonics and tape manipulation or layered with Louvel's own vocal interpretation and intonation, sometimes with original vocals stretched and pitched to a haunting effect very much amalgamating with the overall feel of eerie atmospheric density and ghostly presence, like otherwordly sounds and transmissions weeping through a leaking space-time-matrix, crossing over into our reality from an alternate, yet somewhat similar but different dimension, a twilight zone of interference providing a thrilling, highly fascinating listening experience over the course of nine tracks in total whilst intersecting with Olivia Louvel's very own and unique approach to multilayered vocal arrangements in terms of highly thought out advanced Leftfield Pop for those in the know. Great stuff.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Sascha Müller [Supersix Records Extra 094]

To be put on the circuit via his very own Supersix Records label soon is Sascha Müller's 94th - sic! - untitled album on the imprint, another 12 track journey into the world of high quality club and dance music. Opening up with "The Matix" Sascha Müller leads us straight to the heart of the dancefloor with a stripped down, bouncy and seductively grooving take on Electro-infused MinimalTechno rolled out over 11+ minutes, providing endless dancefloor hypnosis with a few offbeat shots and slight Trance references whereas "TOC" goes down a darker, somewhat gooey path of strangely shuffled minimalism, off-center grooves and twisted, unusual dynamics. The "Transmission" gets down in a dynamic, highly captivating Techno manner, bringing forth a complex synth motif and a subaquatic motor city feel, "Trap The System" combines dry, relentless Techno bassdrums and reverberating mechanoises to create a threatening, suffocating feel of dystopian paranoia before "Traumphase" goes deep into dreamy, acidic Electro territories and "Travelbox" harks back to the artists very 2005-released 7" debut for the Hamburg-based label Intrauterin Recordings. With "Triebkraft" we are propelled through a hollow, somewhat desolate and monotonous black and white Techno tunnel, "UKW *Original Mix" weighs in brutalist, highly compressed marching Techno on the brink of Hardcore despite sporting a bleepy, somewhat tongue-in-cheek main motif as well as a large scale Rave / HardTrance breakdown whereas the subsequent "UKW *Smash The Radio Mix" pays homage to raw unprocessed jumpy Italian AcidRave of the early 90s to a great effect. Furthermore "Unidentified Objects" transmit minimalist, subaquatic signals for buzzing dancefloors, the "Vorlauffunktion" provides more slightly monotonous, yet ever evolving technoid HypnoTrance for those exploring the very depths of their inner mind before the concluding cut "Wellenbereich" explores experimental, well psychedelic Ambient Noize in combination with distorted, heavily altered and modulated radio and TV recordings for an interesting collage evoking memories of great 90s ChillOut acts entering and abusing the realm of human communication techniques - think Scanner or The Future Sound Of London here.

baze.djunkiii Charts 02/2020

01. 2121 - Vol.1 [2121-01]
See review for details...

02. Ceephax Acid Crew presents Acid Cask III: Mind Wharf [WeMe Records 053]
Ceephax Acid Crew have been the purveyors of relentless Acid madness ever since so this release comes as in a kind of a sweet surprise. Not necessarily following the path of the most uncompromisng brainfuck ever with the five tracks featured on this 12" we see them providing a dreamy, captivating and most beautiful update of the long lost AcidTrance genre for 2k20, bringing pure delight to all oldskool ravers without sounding dated at all. Let the rave begin!

03. Kelvin Larkin - Tell Me / The Force [Art Of Dance]
After more than a decade of radio silence Kenny Larkin relaunched his legendary imprint Art Of Dance in 2k19 with a 12" release of his son Kelvin Larkin who's bringing on two dedicated Bigroom House bangers which might come as a surprise for longtime fans and followers of the label. With "Tell Me" Kelvin Larkin even sort of harks back to the era of anthemic, soulful VocalHouse in terms of abusing a classic, well beloved sample whilst "The Force" turns out to be a muscular powertool for ecstatic peaktime sets. Killer.

04. Various Artists - Innate 003 [Innate 003]
The Bristol-based Innate-crew are back with their third 12" vinyl in their third year since they launched the label, coming at us with hand-picked tracks by the likes of Perseus Traxx, Ewan Janssen, Reedale Rinse and label head honcho Owain K. With influences taken from the deeper, melodic side of Motor City all four tracks are meandering in the sonic realm between Electro, Armchair- and Intelligent Techno, providing the depth and complexity needed to move and please crowds on intimate, musically well educated and experienced dancefloors. Quality cuts.

05. Cop Envy - Cotton EP [Hypercolour 078]
For an avid collector and music explorer listening to DJ-mixes is both the horror and a fest at the same time. The horror because one's wantlist grows bigger and bigger with every quality mix, a fest because one usually discovers artists that weren't on one's radar before. This is very true for this release as I discovered Cop Envy through Changsie's contribution to the Resident Advisor podcast series and was immediately captivated by the sparse, stripped down take on UK Garage as well as the hefty low end the tune provides. Besides this, the complex, yet minimalist Jungle / Sublow fusion of "Rat Break" as well as other cuts on this four track EP are well timeless and will sit in my box for ages for a reason.

06. DJ T-1000 - I Told 'Em I Was From Detroit [Suspected 018]
Alan Oldham a.k.a. DJ T-1000 has been a staple in Techno culture for decades now and his most recent 12", released on green vinyl, provides proof why his storming, captivating approach incorporating both a stripped down, yet highly functional attitude as well as, once again, a killer vocal sample is well timeless and never grows old. Both the original mix as well as Scan 7's rework on the flip are massive tools for any Techno-driven DJ out there whilst the DJ Stingray rework on B2 is nothing but pure disappointment, not necessarily musically but because the cutting / mastering quality of this specific remix is beyond poor so it won't do anything for anyone, no matter if it's in a home listening session, on the radio or on the dancefloor and therefore is nothing but a waste of space.

07. Grauzone - Raum [WRWTFWW Records 043]
The epicly named imprint We Release Whatever The Fuck We Want Records comes at us with the second re-issue of a tune by German New Wave band Grauzone, most famous for their major hit "Eisbär" as well as the ProtoTechno cut "Film 2". With "Raum", a tune only sitting in my collection as a NuSkoolBreaks bootleg of questionable origin, the label gets closer to the raw, uncut core of the NDW / German New Wave movement and brings back a well harmonic, but also melancholia-infused and PostPunk-influenced anthem for all creatures of the night, accompanied by a muscular ElectroTechno / IndieElectro rework built by Naum Gabo as well as a so-called 'Extended Mix' which is actually more like a classic edit brought to us by Frankfurt's long standing hero Ata Macias a.k.a. Ata. 

08. Manu Louis - Coltan Major Harmonics: Music For Escif's Magic Piano [IGC 037]
See review for details...

09. The KLF - Chill Out [KLF Communications]
Most likely an unofficial repress but who cares at this point? "Chill Out" possibly is the most praised and widely recognized early collage Ambient / Chill Out album of all times and surely the one that put the genre on the map for a large scale audience. And it is still a trip so this re-issue on translucent vinyl was a must have for me, not only for historical reasons but because I had been looking for a copy for ages. Actually since it was first released back in 1990.

10. The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu - Shag Times [KLF Communications]
Born in 1978 and infected by electronic music from early on it is more than obvious that The KLF and their various incarnations like The Jamms a.k.a. The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu or The Timelords defo played a role in my musical upbringing. Therefore it was quite a no-brainer to pick up this - most likely unofficial - repress of "Shag Times", a compilation album collecting a heapload of early material produced by Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty. Musically oftentimes closer to the sample-heavy approach of the Beastie Boys HipHop-madness at the times than to the chart breaking Stadium House of "3 a.m. Eternal" or "Last Train To Trancentral" this is quite a trip into the anarchism of early electronic dance music in which cuts like "Whitney Joins The Jams" or "Downtown" were still possible and not the cause of major lawsuits like they'd be today.

Susanne Skog - Siberia / Sirens [Fylkingen Records]

Released on November 18th, 2k19 via Stockholm's Fylkingen Records is "Siberia / Sirens", the latest two track album piece created by Swedish sound artist Susanne Skog. Mainly based on and built around Field Recordings from her various journeys all over the world we see Susanne Skog focusing on recordings from a 9288km train trip from Moscow to Vladivostok in September 2015 with the first piece "Siberia" which is a hypnotic, time defying variation of ultraminimalist Ambient textures and ever droning background atmospheres perfectly capturing the isolationist bubble and disconnectedness from the outside world oftentimes associated with long distance train travels. "Sirens", the second composition on this album, uses - well... - sirens recorded in many places around the world within the time frame from 2013 to 2017 to turn them into a fragile, icy Cold Ambient drone, once again in conjunction with deep space-related Isolationist Ambient atmospheres and a slowly moving low frequency pulse to provide a certain kind of eerieness which makes this nearly 20 minutes spanning track an ideal candidate to sonically accompany an apocalyptic or dystopian sci-fi story of sorts. Recommended.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Pulled By Magnets - Rose Golden Doorways [Glitterbeat / Tak:til Promo]

Scheduled for release on February 28th, 2k20 via Glitterbeat / Tak:til is "Rose Golden Doorways", the debut album by Seb Rochford's latest band project operating under the moniker Pulled By Magnets. With all songs recorded live at The Old Church in Stoke Newington the trio comprised of Rochford alongside fellow musicians Pete Wareham and Neil Charles are going in for what the accompanying info sheet describes simply as a 'big heavy sound' informed both by traditions of extreme western guitar music and the unlikely presence of Indian Raga influences adopted from Rochford's part-Indian heritage and musical research on the subcontinent. The results are as dark as they're captivating - a slowly shifting variation of Desert Rock / Desert Blues capturing total i- and desolation, built on a foundation of slow, yet thundering drums and unquestionable timelessness, a music that seem to have existed from the beginning of time, telling sonic tales of gods and demons, a droning fest accompanied by yearning sax passages and omniscient bass, sharing wisdom and fear of ancient entities and beings deliberately unspoken of at any point in given time. An enthralling, somewhat Lovecraftian monolith of an album which is at a surprising height in the (Ambient) Dub infused 6+ minutes of "Those Among Us" and the subsequent ultraminimalist bass guitar exercise that is "The Immortal Fire" whilst "Cold Regime People Die" ultimately harks back to a fusion of score works and Drone Metal riffing to a great effect just to pick a few examples for musical guidance. Intense. Good. Get.

worriedaboutsatan - Crystalline [Sound In Silence 070]

Released earlier this month via the Greece-based imprint Sound In Silence is "Crystalline", the latest album outing by Leeds / UK resident Gavin Miller a.k.a. worriedaboutsatan. Active under this moniker since 2005, the former member of Postrock-outfit Johnny Pointdexter offers a new selection of eight tracks on this roughly 35 minute spanning album - partly alongside and accompanied by vocalist Sophie Green - which, starting from hissing Ambient Noise pulses in the intro of the opening track "Open The Door" evolves into calm, somewhat autumnal Post-PostRock / PopAmbient within the same tune, presents bass music informed ChillOut / Electronica for advanced dancefloors in the subsequent and surely anthemic "Step Inside", emphasizes on the beauteous interplay of guitar chords and echoes alongside heavenly non-vocalisms in "Cali" before fusing slighty twangy PostFolk guitars with precise Electronic Dub abstractions as well as Post Dubstep-infused bassline action in "Mirrors". Furthermore the title track "Crystalline" unexpectedly speeds up things for a crystalline ride on warm bass movements, more advanced bass music references and polychrome synths, "Streetlights On Empty Roads" reveal more uplifting low end power alongside dreamy, fuzzed out guitar motifs created for introvert dancers only, "Secretly" even weighs in echoes of echoes of Dark Wave and Goth vibewise whilst staying true to the PostRock universe this longplayer lives in whereas the concluding cut aptly named "Switching Off" waves goodbye in an ethereal, beatless and slightly haunting Ambient manner. Excellent. Get.

Bit-Tuner - Exo [OUS 027 Promo]

Forthcoming on February 7th, 2k20 via the highly experimental, forward thinking OUS imprint is "Exo", the seventh full length album outing by the Swiss musician and producer named Bit-Tuner created near the end of an extended ex-pat period in Athens, Greece. Capturing and reflecting upon his 24 months stay in which Bit-Tuner saw the country go through surely rough times the artist builds a misty, blurred out longplayer stretched over the course of eight tracks and roughly 34 minutes total playtime which is regularly touching base with Ambient, Synth and (Neo)Cosmic alike whilst presenting a certain inward looking, reflective melancholia as well as a feel of shift and unease caused by somewhat intervening sounds of both percussive and probably field recorded nature which provide a well thought out contrast to the majestic, heavenly layering in tracks like "Passage" and the dedicated, bass-heavy distorted icyness of the crystalline Post-PostGarage cut "Valve" whilst tunes like "Byz" dabble with ethereal, yet anthemic variations of beatless late night Post-Dubstep / Future Bass and "Ghost Light" brings forth a classic, ever spiralling Synth / Cosmic attitude for fans of the genres true pioneers. Eclectic quality, not only for dedicated followers of  OUS' musical musings.

Trapper Keaper - Meets Tim Berne & Aurora Nealand [Ears & Eyes Records / Caligola Records]

Going back to April 2k19 with this review for the latest album outing created by New Orleans-based duo Trapper Keaper, consisting of Italian drummer Marcello Benetti and American keyboard player William Thompson IV who chose to team with Tim Berne and Aurora Nealand for this longpay piece which are both adding their take on the alto sax as an instrument to the groups sonic mix. Opening with an eruptive primevil "Boom" the gang of four is paving the way for things to come over the course of roughly 45 minutes - an untamed and raw tour de force of multilayered polyrhythmic percussions and oftentimes dark'ish, well eerie electronic textures, garnished with sax interventions bordering on FreeJazz and Improv whilst cuts like "Unidentified Flying Objection" offer a tender, somewhat romantic yet off kilter musical approach only to build up towards a climax of more chaotic, freeform structures, "Flame Among Ashes" offers an ever meandering take on electronically informed (Future)Jazz whilst the "Leaky Faucet" brings forth a somewhat tongue-in-cheek late night vibe just to name a few. Defo one explore if you're into the free floating experimental side of the Jazz spectrum

2121 - Vol. 01 [2121-01]

Incoming only recently is this mysterious hand-cut, one-sided lathe-cut 12" released via the recently founded imprint 2121 which is about to come at the world's dancefloors with a series of releases which will only be manufactured on demand - a.k.a. whenever someone orders a specific release of theirs via their website. Running a strict 'no information' policy the label is rumoured to be the brainchild of a veteran producer wishing to create music without having to meet any expectations attached to his real name and well known aliases. This said, the first 12" of the new label is aiming straight at the heart of peaktime rave dancefloors, providing an excellent, expertly executed take on bouncy uptempo AcidTrance for those in the know, hypnotizing masses in strobe-lit and fogged out warehouses with carefully shifting modulations and a stripped down, yet uplifting vibe which combines todays production values with a certain 90s vibe, certainly reminiscent of alltime classics like Underworld's "Rez" and therefore is a record that's about to stand the test of time for a reason.

Sign Libra - Sea To Sea [RVNG Intl. 060 Promo]

Scheduled for release via RVNG Intl. on February 14th, 2k20 is "Sea To Sea", the new album outing by Latvian composer Agata Melnikova employing her artistic alias Sign Libra. Dedicating each of the ten songs to one of the areas referred to as 'seas' on the moon's surface and conceptually contemplating about the meaning of those so-called seas on various layers musically we see Melnikova exploring a sonic realm clearly infused with and informed by hovering, blurred 80s Synths and the diffusely modernistic neon glow of Vaporwave, oftentimes weaving in harmonic non-vocalisms and freely imagined motifs sporting a slightly cliche Asiatic character at times like in "Sea Of Waves" whereas "Sea Of Serenity" presents more of a light-hearted, captivating Future Grime approach and therefore is our favorite cut on the entire album by far. Furthermore Sign Libra echants 4/4 focused dancefloors with mystical entanglements found in the "Sea Of Vapours" whilst the "Sea Of Cleverness" takes the Ethereal Future R'n'B genre to a level beyond the next level just to single out a few cuts from "Sea To Sea" for an in-depth view. Proper good.

Golden Fangs - Golden Fangs EP

The apocalypse is coming upon us. And we're certainly in for the darkness. File under: one of the dopest Illbient / Phonk releases you'll come across in 2k20.

Sascha Müller - Traxxx Vol. 21 [SM Traxxx 44-2020]

Forthcoming on the long time running SM Traxxx label on February 20th, 2k20 is Sascha Müller's next digital single named "Traxxx Vol. 21". Once again featuring two cuts by the restless German producer the opening tune "Track 41" brings forth a tool'ish, slightly spiralling take on functional AcidTechno sporting two overlapping lines of modulation whereas the subsequently following "Track 42" presents a darker, more muscular and surely brutalist take one heavily technoid MonoAcid for your local illegal bunker raves of choice.

Alex McKechnie - Degrees Of Latitude [1471877 Records DK 001]

Released only recently as the very first outing of the new label 1471877 Records DK is "Degrees Of Latitude", the new album effort created by Alex McKechnie around a core idea of strict algorithmic composition techniques. Based on this approach the former Barbed-member presents a roughly 46 minutes spanning seven track album which is, according to additional information found on Discogs, limited to only 50 copies worldwide. Opening with "Whirligig" the listener is immediately drawn into a crystalline sonic world evoking memories of Wendy Carlos' legendary early Synth piece "Switched On Bach" due to its compositional structure and overall ethereal nature obviously drawing inspiration from Classical and Modern Classical music whereas the subsequent "56th Parallel South" is following a similar, yet more chiming and cascading path which might also speak to fans of frolicking New Age music whilst "Laurie's Beagle" brings forth more sparkling and spiralling, trance-inducing uptempo liveliness for advanced dancefloors despite missing a proper solid beat foundation. Heading down "56th Parallel North" presents a more mysterious and mystical take on stripped down algorithmic composition whilst taking us on a trip back to the 80s vibewise, the cryptically titled "Gamalamalamlom" is as complex, multilayered and slightly esoteric as one might have already guessed from its name whereas "Cuculus" pays homage to the epic scores created by early Synth masters like Jean-Michel Jarre as well as to certain musical paths taken throughout the Krautrock era whilst the closing tune "Seven Of Pentacles" pairs more (Neo)Classical elements with high definition bleeps and a rather rhythm focused approach in comparison to all its predecessors on this album. Beautiful stuff.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Aidan Baker & Gareth Davis - Invisible Cities II [Karlrecords Promo]

Scheduled for release via Karlrecords on January 24th, 2k20 is "Invisible Cities II", the second full album collaboration album created by Canadian guitarist Aidan Baker and Belgium-based clarinet player Gareth Davis. Presenting a new set of five tracks rolled out over the course of roughly 43 minutes playtime the opening cut "Hidden" sonically paves the way for things to come with its dark'ish, solemn and slowly moving Ambient structures as well as score'esque overall approach and layers of unperturbed, naturalistic beauty fading out into atmospheric crackles whilst the subsequent track "Eyes" weighs in more of a brittle take on late night / early morning Ambient vibe for those indulging in deep thinking and heartfelt melancholia. Approaching "The Dead" we see the duo merging more of a brooding, threatening electronic vibe with Dark Jazz-informed, yearning clarinet motifs, finding "Continuity" equals the calm in the golden hour before the sun rises whereas naming concluding "Names" is as tender and romantic as Ambient music can get. Defo one for genre connaisseurs, this.

Jon Hassell / Farafina - Flash Of The Spirit [Tak:til / Glitterbeat Promo]

Upcoming on the Glitterbeat sub- / sister label Tak:til is the first ever official re-issue edition of "Flash Of The Spirit", the 1987 conjunctional album effort created by Jon Hassell as a collaborator within the context of Burkina Faso's world renowned outfit Farafina which had also worked with the likes of the Rolling Stones or Ryuichi Sakamoto before this album came to be. With the 2020 release due for February 7th, 2k20 we see the album not only back on the circuit in its original musical form but also being remastered to provide a new view on the densely arranged, polyrhythmic and multilayered classic of the so-called Fourth World movement which sees Hassell's avantgarde informed, oftentimes reprocessed trumpet playing seamlessly merge with the rich sound of Farafina, a far more complex musical venture than the often used term World Music / Ethnic Music / Afrobeat could ever describe correctly. Defo a gem for followers of Contemporary Fusion Music and a dreamy, transcendent and surely unique sonic experience of a kind albeit, and maybe this is due to the original master recording quality of the material, the depth and dynamic range of the album might not necessarily please the audiophile community out there as the general sound quality seems to be a little blurred and muffled which, on the one side, seems to go hand in hand with hypnotic, Psychedelia-infused vibe of the music yet, on the other hand, poses the question if a little more emphasis on and sculpting of the mid- and high frequency could've added even more value to this re-release. Maybe someone is up for doing a one on one comparison with the original release at some point?

Jan Willem Troost & Henry Vega - Ninevolt [Arteksounds 006 Promo]

Released only recently via the Arteksounds imprint is "Ninevolt", a six track collaboration album created by Jan Willem Troost and Henry Vega in which the two musicians aim to amalgamate and glue their instruments of choice - the cello employed by Troost and electronic composition embraced by Vega. Opening with "The Asexual Kingdoms" we see the two artists, accompanied by vocal contributions by both Els Mondelears and Stephanie Pan, embark on a journey into the unknown of a new (Neo)Classical / Contemporary Classical music based on carefully arranged electronic textures and repetetive violin motifs slightly varied whereas the subsequent "Nine Volt Motion" provides a slightly more playful take on computational electronic sounds and siren emulations in conjunction with plucked strings before "Speculative Renaissance 1: Simple Beast" brings forth a lively interplay of crystalline synth tones and dramatic, expressive violin work. The subsequent "Speculative Renaissance 2: The Violence Of Looks" presents even more drama in conjunction with what can be described as crackling Electronica derived from a root of Clicks'n'Cuts , in "On Slowness" the digital crackle continues alongside echoes of inward looking Classical Chamber Music whilst "Victoria Viktoria", taken from the opera 'Secretly', finally introduces more of a dark'ish, brooding variation of the duos work which brings on - obviously informed by the scenic context of a stage play - an interesting take on sonic storytelling and score creation which will be enjoyed by score enthusiasts and followers of (Neo)Classical music alike for a reason.

Johan Arrias - Pour Alto Seul [Ausculto Fonogram 004]

Released recently as cat.no. 004 of the label known as Ausculto Fonogram is "Pour Alto Seul", the first ever full length solo work created by Swedish artist Johan Arrias who is exploring the sonic realm of the saxophone as a solo instrument over the course of eight tracks and a total runtime of roughly 31 minutes. In this exploration we see the instrument being thrown back on its very own, wandering through space, time and perception without any context or pre-existing framework, be it being embedded musically or in any matrix of time, tuning or tempo. This approach allows for a use and abuse of the saxophone beyond what its mostly known for, unveiling a widely unknown beauty that lies within a deep, innate melancholy and sadness, beauteous desolation and ever yearning voice, atonal, ambient'ish and mechanical pieces like the tender "Abandoned City" or the more percussive "Wind Variations" with its fever'ish, ritualistic atmosphere whilst cuts like "Rivers" introduce a super naturalistic take on saxophone playing one rarely even comes across, no matter what specific genre one's talking about. Defo a well interesting case study on one single musical subject, this.

Album artwork on Instagram!

baze.djunkiii Chart Haul 01/2k20

Martina Bertoni - All The Ghosts Are Gone [Falk Records Promo]

What happens when a classically trained cello player forces herself to step outside her very own comfort zone during a dark period of her life? What are the results of approaching the instrument differently, probably from an angle that an electronic music composer would use? Questions like these are answered through Martina Bertoni's "All Ghosts Are Gone", the latest cassette tape release on the Icelandic label Falk Records which was put on the circuit on January 8th, 2k20. Throughout the eight tracks and approximately 37 minutes runtime of the album we don't see the Berlin-based artists abandoning her instrument for good, instead the yearning, obviously sad and melancholia-infused cello playing remains occasionally present over the course of the whole album to a certain extent, adding organic textures to a coherent sonic realm consisting of sparse Ambient and DarkAmbient structures, minimalist atmospheric movements and a decent foundation of stripped down beats somewhat in between Electronica, ChillOut and IDM, in certain tracks like "Stuck Out Of Lifetime" even evoking memories of the slightly storytelling, score'esque approach employed by genre greats like The Future Sound Of London throughout the early- and mid-90s whilst "Impossible Routines" provides a stripped down, spine-tingling and highly captivating main motif for advanced Ambient dancefloors - which should be a good reason for any lover of electronic music to check out this single track on its own and / or give the full album release a shot and discover even more greatness in cuts like the touching, yet minimalistic Dark Ambient / Desert Ambient piece that is "Invisible Cracks" which is another favorite of ours on this longplay piece.

Espen Sommer Eide - The Waves [Sofa Music]

Released via the Norwegian staple Sofa Music on November 15th, 2k19 is "The Waves", the first full on solo album created by acclaimed artist / composer Espen Sommer Eide which we've already announced on these pages with a feature for the album opening track "Slaapkamer" at the end of last year. Brought to life in conjunction with Martin Taxt and Mari Kvien Brunvoll throughout a yearlong recording session in an old villa in Maastricht, Netherlands which has been turned into an arts centre the recordings on this album do not only happen within the building but use the space and single rooms in itself to add certain individual textures, oftentimes in conjunction with Spoken Word text collages taken from the works of authors like Virginia Woolf and others. With this approach, the second cut "Schouwkamer" presents itself as a tender amalgamation of crackling textures, echoes of Field Recordings and intense, yet harmonic layers of klaxon'esque drones in conjunction with blurred, ethereal female vocals somewhat reminiscent of band projects like Peaking Lights, "Poortkamer / Tussenkamer" weighs in what might be referred to as Post Folk / Post Chamber Music with its intimate, short looped, pure and naturalistic structures seamlessly transitioning into the raw, crackling Electronica / CutUp realm of "Zolder" which is seemingly based, at least in parts, on sounds taken from old telecommunication equipment and clanging wood and metal pieces alongside ambient'ish string works. Furthermore the double feature "Balzaal / Turnkamer" indulges deeply in Folk-infused, misty Leftfield Pop with an innocent, uplifting and somewhat björk'esque twist, "Wintertuin" continues on the path of its predecessor with more ethereal vocals, deep, brooding bass eruptions and a sacred, spiritual atmosphere of sorts whereas the closing cut "Wachtkamer" waves goodbye with a bunch of Spoken Word album credits which defo is a killer idea for a concluding track. Go check!

Album artwork on Instagram!

HTN - Ify

Is Intelligent Breakcore? Detroit Hardcore? IGM a.k.a. Intelligent Glitch Music? Subaquatic Future Jungle? No matter what, it's a banger for sure.

Craven Faults - Erratics & Unconformities [The Leaf Label Promo]

Released via The Leaf Label on January 10th, 2k20 is "Erratics & Unconformities", the first ever album by the project known as Craven Faults which is out on the circuit as 2x LP vinyl set and 3x CD box set with the latter one featuring a bunch of additional sonic material not covered on vinyl. With the limited promotional upfront CD version we're taking a basic look at the tracklist of the 2xLP set, opening with the roughly 18 minutes spanning "Vacca Wall", an epicly long trip into the spiralling realms of contemporary Synth and (Neo)Cosmic which is followed by "Deipkier" - a track we've already featured on these pages in December, 2k19. With exploring the "Cupola Smelt Mill" Craven Faults settle into a classic, somewhat KrautRock-infused approach to what once was called Kosmische Musik / Cosmic when this style originally emerged and do manage to hold up to the high standards of the genres early days, "Slack Sley & Temple" provides slowly moving Ambient drones in conjunction with hypnotic repetitions and organic, well seductive bass grooves bordering ChillOut, dubbed out Electronica and IDM as the albums main piece in terms of runtime before "Hangingstones" indulges in a warm organic stream of harmonic chord progressions and, once again, beautiful Ambient grooves whereas the concluding "Signal Post" is as calm and caressing as vintage Synth works can be, waving goodbye in the most friendly and touching manner ever imaginable. Recommended.

DST featuring Gabriele Mitelli - Kinetic [Aut Records 054]

Out on the circuit via Berlin's Aut Records label on January 20th, 2k20 is "Kinetic", the sophomore album piece by DST which is a conjunctional artistic moniker employed by Alberto Collodel and Simone Di Benedetto for joint musical ventures. This time teaming up with trumpet player Gabrielle Mitelli for a change who adds both tones by his instrument of choice as well as occasional electronic textures to the mix the eight tracks on this album are focusing on an ever evolving, oftentimes melancholia-infused variation of Jazz / Future Jazz defined by the sparse, yet touching opener "Phase Out" which paves the way for things to come like the beautiful, heartfelt Jazz Noir outing "S" which defo is a most welcome companion throughout cold, pensive winter nights. With "Still" the trio touches base with desolate Dark Ambient / Cold Ambient before turning towards intimate, inward looking Jazz again, "Struktur 1 - Trumpet Version" is on a well intense, buzzing tip in terms of free eruptive trumpet improvisation in conjunction with muffled non-vocalisms and other hard to identify textures whereas "Landscapes" presents a deep, stripped down take on what could be a high quality score for classic black and white flics shot at the beginning of the cinematic age. Furthermore "Rota" pairs a free floating improvisational bass groove with tender electronic textures and more Free Jazz vibes to a great effect , "Struktur 1 - Bass Clarinet Version" comes across way deeper and contained compared to the cuts alternate version despite featuring quite a fair share of eruptive improvisation, too, and the final cut "Lullaby For Barbin" sees the trio explore more of a high quality late night Bar Jazz approach for a closing which adds another level to their sonic spectrum. Defo a piece every genre connaisseur should check out for a reason.

Album artwork on Instagram!