Sane - Sanelogy [Isope 005]

Continuing our examination of the catalogue of the Belgian Isope label we're dealing with "Sanelogy" today, the December 2018-released four track 12" by Russell Burnell a.k.a. Sane. Put out on the circuit with quite an astounding artwork perfectly complimenting the turquoise vinyl pressing we see the opening cut "The Burglar Wore Clogs" fusing a relentlessly stomping, highly mechanical foundation of hypercrompressed Techno drums with hefty low end, nerve wrecking modulations and a futuristic array of wonky sci-fi sounds for sonic warfare whereas "Your Feet Hum" follows on a similar, yet more grinding and monotonous path, providing an explosive MechaTech tool for the adventurous DJs out there who are more than ready to drive crowds insane with the tunes ever morphing bassline of doom. On the flipside the B1 cut "Thick And Fast" caters a fascinating, yet super dry blueprint for contemporary Wonky Techno with a jacking, yet highly experimental twist with its mental synth modulations, whipping quasi-snares and tongue-in-cheek bleep sequences before "Necterating Apeloid" fuses super clean Sci-Fi Techno futurisms with a dark maelstrom of warped sawtooth bass synths accompanied by hovering hypnotic synth tones reminiscent of submarine sonar and more. This is good stuff.

Vinyl artwork on Instagram!

Owen Underhill / Quatuor Bozzini - Songs And Quartets [Collection QB]

Put out on the circuit via the ensembles very own Collection QB label on June 27th, 2k25 is "Songs And Quartets", the second full on collaborational release between the famed string quartet that is Quatuor Bozzini and Vancouver-based composer Owen Underhill. Opening with "The Retreat" which is, given its total runtime if nearly 14 minutes, a little more than just a 'song' we're drawn into a fascinating grey area sitting right in between Contemporary Opera, score works and an overall vintage feel on par with classic golden age Broadway performances, pairing ethereal vocal performance with a perfectly balanced string dramaturgy ranging from calm and floating harmonic form to short dramatic outbursts and enchanted playfulness whereas the four sections of "Northern Line - Angel Station (String Quartet No. 2)" speak a deeply caressing and emotionally connected sonic language, relying on mostly sustained, stripped down yet lush and somewhat melancholic string arrangements for the most part despite a few slighty deliberately off-kilter peaks to be found in "Adagio Calmato, Animato". With the second 10 minute+ 'song' named "What is Our Life?" things are getting more lively in a Contemporary Classical vein, with the almost 11 minutes spanning piece covering an entire ark of (e)motions before the final "String Quartet No. 5 - Land And Water" rounds things off with an array of dramatically beautiful string works in parts evoking memories of alpine mountain ranges, unscathed rural forests and simpler, yet not less happy times with the "Holy Isle" even presenting some rather danceable, albeit festive sections. Quite a lovely album not speaking exclusively to a classically trained or at least well versed audience but rather one that can be well enjoyed by the casual fan of Contemporary Classical music and modern composition due to its overall harmonic approach.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Andrew Staniland - The Laws Of Nature [Leaf Music]

Scheduled for release via the Canadian Leaf Music label on August 1st, 2k25 is "The Laws Of Nature", the latest full length album outing by composer and experimental music researcher Andrew Staniland. Split into two main sections, opening with a series of six so-called "Dancer Portraits" which are followed by an additional take of six pieces dealing with the main theme: "The Laws Of Nature", the albums first part has been created with the help of the JADE instrument which helped to generate musical building blocks for each piece derived from tactile sensory information and actual brainwaves directly recorded via EEG headbands worn by dancers in motion and offers an ethereal, chiming and timelessly hovering insight into what could be described as slightly New Age-leaning Piano Ambient derivatives, inward looking electro-organic textures, surprisingly complex IDM -infused rhythm signatures paired with what seem to be micro vocal cut-ups, ethereal harmonies and soft, intricately layered pads and even nocturnal, melancholia-infused string sections accompanied by innocent piano melodies paying homage to Modern and Contemporary Classical arrangements as well as panoramic score works. This being said, the second half of the album opens with an astoundingly dancefloor friendly variation of what could be described as ritualistic Ambient Techno in "The Laws Of Nature: Interweave" before drifting into icy Glacial Ambient drones and echoes of classic Synth x Berlin School composition with the subsequent "The Laws Of Nature: The Web" whilst further presenting nervous Clicks'n'Cuts and digital hyperpercussions, nocturnal Deep Listening Music as well as slightly off-kilter string x violin performances backed by nervous rhythms in "The Laws Of Nature: Electricity Grid". Quite a thrilling album concept amalgamating the means of electronic music production and Contemporary x Avantgarde Classical composition of now. Go check!

Album artwork on Instagram!

Der Totmacher - Hello My Name Is [Isope 007]

Put out on the circuit as cat.no 007 of the Belgian Isope imprint on November 6th, 2k21 as a limited edition 12" pressed on red vinyl is "Hello My Name Is" by German DJ x producer Der Totmacher who is also employing his a.k.a.'s Shocking-Head and Prof. Death on this five track release which obviously drew inspiration from the infamous 'Hello My Name Is' stickers popular within the graffiti scene whilst taking a sonic deep dive into the realms of relentless, mechanical RoboHardcore aimed at the Teknival scene, raw, unpolished FreeTekno madness as well as lo-fi Ambient skit experimentalisms ("Leichenstarre Im Nebelwald") and noisy, relentless and at times Breakcore-infused Underground Industrial Hardcore and slugg'ish grinding Wonky Techno outings for the headstrong. Not for the weak hearted, this one.

Vinyl artwork on Instagram!

Sane - Don't Make It Weird [Isope 008]

Going back to the year 2k24 with the latest release of the Belgium-based Isope label with this vinyl album as we're starting a short series of reviews which sets out to backward examine the imprints catalogue in reverse order over the course of the next weeks. This being said "Don't Make It Weird" presents a serving of five cuts opening with the title track which explores the well wonky and bass heavy side of (Broken)Techno and Phonk reminiscent of early 2000s outings by the like of Tobias Schmidt or Neil Landstrumm on labels like Tresor or further releases on classic, yet now defunct imprints like Neue Heimat, Mercuro Chrome and the likes of whereas the subsequent cut "Accomplished Sleep" keeps the focus on an earth shaking low end paired with a bleepy, kinda lo-fi'ish synth tone motif and a well hypnotic attitude for late night dancefloors before the "Collapsed State" oozes raw muscular stomping peaktime energy for Acid-infused basement raves lit exclusively by a barrage fire of strobe lights. Furthermore we see "Those People" on B1 indulge in what might be filed under flag of post-apocalyptic Doom Rave fueled by robotic bleeps, echoes of haunting vocals and, obviously, a hefty portion of bass whilst "Some Hard Feelings" perfectly stimulates the braincells of underground ravers with a foundation of highly compressed Techno bass drums accompanied by an array of hypnotically seductive laser bleep synths for primetime use and abuse. This is peak contemporary Wonky Techno for those in the know.

Album artwork on Instagram!

Sean Clarke - A Flower For My Daughter [Navona Records]

Put out on the circuit via the US-based Navona Records label on June 20th, 2k25 is "A Flower For My Daughter", the debut album by Ottawa-based composer Sean Clarke which sees his works, mainly a set of pieces for solo piano, performed by Roger Feria Jr. with the exception of "Ballade" which has Nathan Bredeson stepping in on guitar whilst "Mountain Hymnal For Flute And Resonance" sees Clarke himself on flute duty for the performance. With the title piece "A Flower For My Daughter" setting the pace in a calm, peaceful and rather skeletal manner, with single tones and harmonies carefully arranged, following an intricate dynamic flow which never reaches for a full climax the subsequent trio piece "Franey Trail - A Chamber Opera" indulges in the exceptional vocal performance of soprano singer Talia Fuchs who adds an absolutely enchanted and touching note to the album. Furthermore Clarke's aforementioned flute piece "Mountain Hymnal For Flute And Resonance" weighs in an airy, rather spiritual journey carried by an overall spatial feel and a set of interesting overtones, "Winter Light, Castle Mountain" indulges in deep Contemporary Classical romanticisms for late night listening whereas the alternative bonus version presented under the name of "Winter Light, Castle Mountain (Una Corda)" with its approach of having the una corda pedal and 4th pedal depressed serves an even softer, yet also more dynamic variation for the advanced and classically trained audience just to name a few. Simply beautiful, this.

Album artwork on Instagram!

baze.djunkiii Chart Haul 07/2k25

OUT TODAY: baze.djunkiii & Sascha Müller - The Broadcast / RU DEAD 42 - Acid Jackson [dljife 001]

File under: Minimal House / Experimental House / Acid

dljife – The Essence Of Experimental House.

On the A-side of our first 7“ single we see the production of Hamburg-based baze.djunkiii and Uelsen's finest Sascha Müller who have also ventured into the world of Bass Music with their acclaimed Combat Dubs project as well as their most recent Footwork x Juke x Global Bass fusion remix for Colombian artist Iam JDP on the Freebreakz.FWD label harking back to the Minimal House vibe of the mid-90s, presenting a stripped down, yet groovy and seductive take on late night club music with a tongue-in-cheek twist, Jazz-referencing percussions, wonky, ever meandering midrange synths and a simple, highly effective main motif expertly crafted for those in the know.

On the flip we've got „Acid Jackson“, a vinyl debut for the mysterious project that is RU DEAD 42 which enters a hyperdense realm of muscular, hard-stomping and heavily Acid-infused House Music backed by soft Piano chords and a trippy dreamstate attitude of sorts with this musical outing, providing quite a deliberate contrast to the deep and restrained vibe of the A-side.

Limited initial pressing of 250 copies on black vinyl.

Distributed via Word And Sound / Hamburg – www.wordandsound.net

08/15 - 1000 Gelbe Tennisbälle / Halbe Sache [Sterbt Alle Records 028]

Coming in from the Hamburg-based and interestingly named label that is Sterbt Alle Records is this vintage green limited to 300 copies worldwide 7" reissue of Andreas Thein's originally 1981-released single "1000 Gelbe Tennisbälle / Halbe Sache" put out under his artistic nom de guerre that 08/15. Realized with a little help from Kurt Dahlke a.k.a. Pyrolator at the Atatak studios in Düsseldorf the A-side offers a raw and seductive take on the Ingenious Dilettantes / Minimal Wave movement of times, based on clickety, ever meandering rhythm signatures, catchy lo-fi synths and a weird, yet positive and uplifting vocal chorus which, rather obviously, underwent a kind of early vocoder and filter treatment to an interesting, yet also outerworldly effect. On the other hand the flipside offering that is "Halbe Sache", vocal-less and infused with what seems to be echoes of remnants of PostPunk-leaning bass arrangements, caters more of a rather proto-electroid vibe of sorts which, in certain aspects, will also speak to fans and followers of later electronic music projects like Cabaret Voltaire and the likes of. Intredasting stuff.

Mazut - Dirt Collector [Rope Worm 006]

The Warsaw-based Rope Worm label is back with its cat.no. 006 and this time it's something extra special - the latest album release by Mazut, a duo project comprised of Pawel Starzec and the Rope Worm head honcho Michal Turowkski himself. Put out on the circuit on June 30th, 2k25 the album caters a menu of 13 brand new tracks in total which are rolled out over an extended playtime of 74 minutes, all heavily inspired by the 80s ProtoTechno meets Industrial experimentalism introduced and carved out by bands like Cabaret Voltaire or Severed Heads and the likes of. This being said, the contemporary sound of Mazut transcends the originally still dancefloor-functional sounds of the originators by far, with the opening cut "The Original Sound" being a cold and threatening, beat- yet not rhythmless soundscape for sci-fi hyperfuturism in films yet to be made followed by the nerve-wreckingly intense collage work of "Ear" evoking memories of the legendary multi-media collective operating under the name of Emergency Broadcast Network as well as the minimalist robo-mechanic claustrophobia of "The Fountain Of Negativity". Furthermore cuts like "You Try To Make People Upset, But Nobody Gives A Fuck" make for a quite uneasy dancefloor experience in an Industrial context due to its alarming sample abuse and hyper-aggressive drum x percussion fire accompanied by wild Acid references and therefore provides a 2k25 blueprint for real Industrial Music in its original form, the frosty, yet atmospheric "Jetzt Geht Mir Ein Licht Auf" is more of a stomping Techno Industrial vibe than actual contemporary Industrial Techno itself whereas the "Slow Cancellation Of The Future" offers a mind numbing maelstrom of Tribal Ambient nothingness whilst the title track that is "Dirt Collector" even oozes a certain primordial, Trance-inducing ritualism reminiscent of both Test Dept.'s "Pax Americana" as well as the hypnotic Desert PostPunk of C Cat Trance. A highly recommended album, this!

Hold Tight Raver (2025)

An excellent take on the Leicester rave scene of the early 90s. Recommended!

Listen Again: baze.djunkiii presents Legitimate Breaks Volume 3 @ Radio Flouka / Paris (03.07.2025)

Radio Flouka راديو فلوكة · baze.djunkiii presents Legitimate Breaks Volume 3 - 19/06/2025

baze.djunkiii & Sascha Müller - The Broadcast (Snippet) [dljife001 / A-side]

bazedjunkiii · baze.djunkiii & Sascha Müller - The Broadcast (Snippet) [dljife001 / A-side]