Monday, December 08, 2014

baze.djunkiii Charts 12/2014

01. Various Artists - Acid Trax [Trax Records]
Killer album and an appreciated reunion with many beloved classics that were on heavy rotation all throughout my early rave years, now remastered and re-issued. Although being hooked on electronic music and especially AcidHouse from a primary school age onwards naturally I learned about the very early underground days of the whole movement a little later and especially the "Best Of Acid" box set put out by Mahesh Bajaj's former UK-based Low Price Music in 1994 introduced quite a lot of dry, uncompromising Chicago Acid Trax to my younger self. It was this box which included - apart from many others - all eight tunes originally featured on Trax Records' "Acid Trax" compilation from 1987 like Phuture Pfantasy Club's "Got The Bug", Jack Frost & The Circle Jerks' "Two The Max" and more - all tracks essential and formative in my musical history so this 2014 reissue is nothing but a must have to me. 110 % recommended.  

02. Push / Pull - Bang The Drums [Rush Hour]
Re-releases and represses of classic electronic music albums are ruling things these days and this one is no exception. Originally released via the US-based House label Gertie Records back in 1990 and resurrected via Rush Hour we see Ben Cenac a.k.a. Cozmo D, also member of projects like Newcleus and Dream 2 Science, on a proper House tip, surfing the organic wave whilst using a load of real instruments alongside samples of so-called ethnic heritage and tribalistic chants in these six tracks. Also it's well interesting to see how HipHouse influenced the music of "Push/ Pull" still is although only the title track "Bang The Drums" is featuring the voice of an MC spitting rhymes, as this musical phenomenom was not that present as it used to be in the years prior to 1990. For collectors like myself this one is a nice snapshot of an era for sure, although the use of sounds and samples is clearly old fashioned and not necessarily still relevant today nor is the album a clear must have. Still good,though.

03. Eau Rouge - Eau Rouge  [AdP Records Promo]
Check interview for details... 

04. F.T.G. N'Friends [Skylax Records 138]
House Music at its very best - dark, brooding, high octane-fueled, raw as fuck and the first track is sporting one of the best vocal samples ever, taken from the movie "Carlito's Way". There's no doubt that these tunes are about to stand the test of time.



05. Fagottmädchen - Albu. [Raketenbasis Haberlandstrasse 006 Promo]
Check review for details...

06. Tlic - The Inaccessible EP [Minor Label 030]
Another fresh one on the ever active Leipzig-based Minor Label which is home to the well-mysterious producer Tlic, serving five tracks of Unformatted Techno and other experimental electronics on the smoke marbled, limited to 222 copies 12". With cryptic track names written in Telugu and Kannada script language little information is given about the tracks real intentions but the ancient tribal-references and post apocalyptic photos of architecture can be seen as signposts undeniably leading into very dark and feverish realms. Recommended for fans of Autechre or Monolake as well as to those loving their electronic music being served pretty cold and sterile.

07. Various Artists - Four Jacks Vol. 2 [Poker Flat Recordings 154 Promo]
Celebrating their 15th anniversary with a series of 12" releases, both resurrecting classics from the back catalogue in new remix versions as well as adding new tunes from fresh artists to the labels roster this is the second of four singles from that series released on Poker Flat Recordings these days. Including a stripped down Sebo K remix of John Tejada's seminal "Sweat (On The Wall)" and a deep, dubbed out rework of Daniel Dexter's "No House For Old Men" the A-side is about to please all lovers of the more classic Poker Flat Recordings signature sound whilst Josh Wink is riding the Acid wave again with his "Groove" featuring a well special kind of humour when it comes to one-off sample use and Anaxander's "A Place To Go" brings in a bit of 'troity late night melancholia.

08. Various Artists - Four Jacks Vol. 3 [Poker Flat Recordings 155 Promo]
More Poker Flat Recordings anniversary sounds are to be found on Part 3 of the labels' "Four Jacks"-series with Audiofly's stripped down relick of Argy's "Love Dose" slightly distorting the well-known melody on top of a groovy, skeletal foundation for deeply hypnotized audiences whilst the second repolished classic is Martin Landsky's uber-hit "Reject" which is dubbed by Joeski with a crowd of fired up TechHouse lovers in mind. On the flip we see Mark Henning, a new addition to the labels artist roster, exploring warm, organic and ever embracing bass waves with a seductive twist in his "Mad Half Hour" before Dario D'Attis "96000" fuses raw, minimal House with tripping Acid modulations to a nice spiralling effect.

09. Various Artists - Four Jacks Vol. 4 [Poker Flat Recordings 156 Promo]
The final chapter of Poker Flat's "Four Jacks"-series brings back one of the labels biggest hits in a new version - Trentemøller's "Always Something Better" remixed by DJ Tennis & Mind Against. And although I'm not the biggest fan of the original as I only started to embrace Trentemøller's music when he turned towards the more guitar side of things this new, atmospheric and slightly straightened version will work pretty well for very deep late night sessions or balearic terrace sets. Speeding things up into more technoid territories Ejeca is taking care of Chardronnet vs. Afrilounge's "Shake It", bringing in a spiralling hook and sharp, galopping well demanding hi-hats that are about to be greeted with loads of love when hammered into a hyped crowd - nothing but a primetime banger this is. Flipping the disc to side B1 will unveil John Tejada & Justin Maxwell on a twisted, well stripped down Acid trip named "All We Know" - and seemingly they know a lot about how certain chemicals might warp time and space, at least they know how to morph a 303 line right whilst Kindimmer's "Tremor" turns out to be a deep, melodic and kind romantic vision of TechHouse, a perfect closing track after a long night out.

10. Killawatt - Convoys EP [Run Out Run 005]
This is what I call a solid 12 for tool loving jocks. Four tracks with A1 and B1 being straightforward Techno for primetime abuse, A2's "Ball And Socket" serving twisted Broken Techno bringing in a massive, uberly cold, electroid sci-fi bassline and the final "Sinkhole" on B2 fusing dark, monotonous Techno with killer basslines heavily influenced by Speed- and Breakbeat Garage. Blam!

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