Reports
Reports
Edward - Deep Sea Villain
Edward's transition to a more active, dance floor-focused style retains a surrealist vibe. His music features vivid house beats with oddball ambience, highlighted in his remix of Trybet's 'Mood Setter.' The EP showcases a more rough, ready, vintage sound with dusty drums and hypnotic melodies while bringing back a resonating ambience alongside garage grooves and glitches. Deep Sea Villain is a strong addition to Edward's and Oyster Cult's discography, suited for deeper nights.
Michael J. Blood - Raven / Hemoglobin / TRGR
Michael J. Blood is a Manchester-based producer and DJ known for his innovative and saturated sound within the underground dance music scene. He has gained recognition for his dynamic song structures and ability to infuse soul into his instrumentation. His latest record features tracks like 'Raven,' which combines heavy 808s with energetic synths, and 'Hemoglobin,' showcasing his distinctive dubby chords. The closing track, 'TRGR,' pushes the limits of sampled house with chaotic yet inviting energy. Blood's eccentric and DIY approach makes his music hard to categorise, blending authenticity with a modern edge.
Helena Hauff - Multiply Your Absurdities
Helena Hauff's release, Multiply Your Absurdities, represents a shift from pure albums to focused dancefloor releases. Known for her iconic presence as a DJ in the techno and electro scenes, Hauff maintains a strong sense of self despite the industry's push for producers. Multiply Your Absurdities reflects her storied experience in various performance spaces and includes tracks like 'Multiply My Absurdities,' which features a blend of tranquil melodies and gritty rhythms, and 'Humanoid Fruit,' highlighted by acidic sounds and industrial influences. Overall, the record combines underground techno's unique essence with the raw power of industrial music, poised to become a cult classic.
Ø - Fermionit / Kulmamomentti
Before his passing in 2017, Mika Vainio was working on a new album under the name Ø. His girlfriend, Rikke Lundgreen, compiled various tracks into a posthumous release, discovering two additional tracks, "Fermionit" and "Kulmamomentti, "which were released separately with contributions from Jimi Tenor and Timo Kaukolampi.
The intricate world of microchips and electricity parallels Vainio's work and the minimalistic sound of Sähkö Recordings, which he co-founded with Tommi Grönlund. Ø's track 'Fermionit' captures the essence of electricity and cognitive dissonance, utilizing micro rhythms and a sense of isolation. In contrast, the edits of '"Kulmamomentti'" by Tenor and Kaukolampi introduce a darker, more cinematic tone, showcasing Vainio's unique approach to sound, free from traditional musical structures, allowing listeners to find their own meanings in his compositions. He is celebrated as a pioneering figure in minimal music whose creativity and influence have left a lasting impact.
not even noticed - nocturnal slide
The Frankfurt duo, not even noticed, is recognized for their ability to rejuvenate classic breakbeat elements while incorporating a forward-thinking approach to drum and bass. Their latest release, Nocturnal Slides (2025) on Gimme A Break Records, showcases their talent by blending old-school influences with modern sounds. Tracks like 'Ethur' and 'Queso' weave emotive liquid drum and bass with uplifting pads and gritty basslines, while 'Jitter' challenges genre boundaries with jump-up DnB drums and acid bases. The duo also explores different styles in 'Kura', evoking a garage feel, and delivers raw energy in 'Rustle', appealing to hardcore junglists. The Phasmid remix adds a trippy twist, showcasing their innovative approach to production.
Denise Rabe - Mastermind
Denise Rabe's latest work, Mastermind, showcases her evolution in sound, transitioning from spine-chilling insect techno to a style I'd describe as sound bath techno. The music features slow, methodical rhythms characterised by heavy modulating subs, expansive pads, and minimalist samples. Rabe's productions engage the dance floor with influences from various genres.
Her tracks demand patience and serve as tools for group hypnosis. Mastermind, featuring dynamic synthesisers, constantly searches for resolution, while One Complete Moment uses sparse melodies to create unresolved tension. Both tracks reflect her signature insect-like textures, blending simple percussive patterns with intricate modulation that enhances the overall sonic experience.
Paleman - Pale Vater
Callum Lee, after a brief foray into experimental music under the alias Fresnel Lens, returned to club-focused releases in 2023 with his familiar Paleman persona. His 2023 album Veiled showcased his percussive excellence, and now, in 2024, he releases the EP 'Pale Vater' with 30D Records, just in time for NYE gigs. The title track features sharp syncopated grooves and a futuristic sound, while other tracks like 'Lying About Lying' and 'No You' evoke a throwback to dark dubstep influences. The EP's standout track, 'Trawl', offers rich atmospherics with haunting elements. However, the tracks feel like variations of the same material, lacking distinctiveness, yet maintaining high quality and appeal for a NYE playlist.
Blawan - BouQ
Blawan's new record, BouQ, released under his imprint Ternesc, showcases his signature radical sound design and bass-heavy sections while pushing genre boundaries. The EP features varied grooves, incorporating pop rhythms into his futurist bass style. While the record can feel overwhelming, Blawan introduces more solid, trappy and UK hip-hop influences, experimenting more with dramatic vocals and glitches. The second half of the EP returns to a progressive direction, combining old-school dubstep and electro house and featuring a garagey footwork vibe and haunting flute melody.
Schwefelgelb - Trigger
The critique of live versus studio music has intensified, especially with the rise of live performances in electronic music. The German duo Schwefelgelb stands out in this regard, consistently surpassing expectations in their live shows. Their latest EP, Trigger (2024), particularly highlights how they capture the energy of live performances in their recordings.
The track "IO" showcases their mastery of acceleration and deceleration, creating a dynamic, intense atmosphere that deviates from typical industrial sounds. 'The second track, Open World Games', embraces a more theatrical style with a dark ambience, incorporating rugged glitches and minimalist rave elements for contrast.
Additionally, the album features two remixes: UFO95's minimalist electro/techno remix of 'Open World Games' maintains Schwefelgelb's aesthetic. In contrast, Flore's remix of 'IO' takes a bold departure with a contemporary UKG influence, reflecting the duo's openness to new sounds. Overall, the project effectively simulates the thrill of a live performance while exploring diverse musical landscapes.
Shed - Applications
A special collaboration between a prominent German label, Ilian Tape, and influential producer Shed showcases the intersection of Munich and Berlin's music scenes. The Applications EP encapsulates the Ilian Tape ethos through retro-futurist sounds and analogue techniques. Shed's distinctive style, characterised by gritty drum programming and analogue synthesis, heavily influences the tracklist.
Opening with EMCZ, a high-energy, industrial boom-bap-style track that propels the dance forward, TLSQ contrasts this with an organic 4x4 groove, rich with transforming synth layers that surprise the listener. The closing track, UFO2, is marked by its intense Big Room energy, highlighted by pounding percussion and atmospheric elements. The overall impact of Applications shows how relevant Shed is and may always be.