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Luke Forward

Is it a damning indictment of contemporary techno or merely more proof of Luke Slater's ability to release jawdropping music that his new EP on Ostgut sounds superior to practically any other current release? It's intersting that Ostgut have signed up Slater because many of their key DJs/producers, eg Dettmann, Klock and Nodge, cite Slater as a key influence, and, listening back to his old Morganistic and Planetary Assault Systems records (as well as old Lost Recordings releases - a less documented but equally crucial influence in the Ostgut/Berghain style), it's easy enough to hear the link. Back to the present: while Slater has the benefit of 20 years' experience on his side, 'Temporary Suspension', under his Planetary Assault Systems guise, is still a shockingly good record. It sees Slater return to his purist roots (hey, everyone should be allowed to have a funny haircut and mess about with vocalists at some stage) as a clanging metallic groove and a lone bleep populate the title track, with Slater filtering the percussion and layered FX to create a constant sense of drama.  On ‘Mark Me’, he applies a similar approach; the beats are denser and more claustrophobic, but they still provide an ideal backing for his firing percussion and waves of climaxing electronic riffs. It sounds simple, it's lethally effective and it promises great things for his forthcoming PAS album.

New records

Just as the title suggests, there are a load of excellent new(ish) records about. First of all, does anyone think that Legowelt's latest album is this year's best long-player so far? The competition hasn't been that strong admittedly, but 'Vatos Locos', with its super three-eyed dog/wolf artwork and raw, nasty jacking Chicagoisms are like a breath of fresh air. Legowelt also has a new EP, 'Slompy Jitt', out soon on the fine M<O<S label, which covers much the same ground. For fans of this sound, also make sure to check the new Nation release -  more wild analogue riffs and lo-fi jacking rhythms - as well as Traxx's 'Ina Daze' as Mutant Beat Dance. Working together with vocalist Eric D Clark, its soulful vocals and grainy production is an unusual yet alluring combination. Jitterbug's 'Raw Winter' on Uzuri is a decent deep house release; I use the word decent because two of the tracks, 'No Pressure' and 'Speakers Corner', are standard fare grooves, and neither compare to the warm, resonating 'Dream Memory'; a solid remix from DJ QU also makes it worth checking. Speaking of remixers, Ben Klock does the business on his remix of Deepgroove & Jamie Anderson's 'The Clock', turning the jarring, noisy original into a typically dense and relentless track, while Klock himself is getting the remix treatment soon from... Function and Robert Hood, surely a release to save the cents for. Syrinx has two great deep techno EPs out on Rush Hour, 'A Million Light Years' and 'After The Sunset'. They may be full of soaring strings and sweet melodic sequences, but he also knows how to craft proper dance floor arrangements, with sleek, pulsing grooves and metallic percussion providing the necessary impetus. Marco Bernardi has been putting out some excellent Detroit-style techno of late, but he goes back to punishing basslines and bleak 808 drums for 'My New Juno', his debut for Dave Clarke's White Noise label. On a similar tip is Faceless Mind's new release for Dublin label Lunar Disko. 'Glasriket' is a four-tracker of tight, moody electro-breaks, powered by gloomy synths and ominous basslines. It's a world apart from the label's upbeat debut, but it's good to see labels taking chances, especially in these money-stretched times. As we're talking about going out on a limb, Kontext impresses again with his latest release for Immerse.  'Convex Curved Mirror' takes elements from a variety of sources, with dssected percussion underpinning rolling basslines and atmospheric chords, which later morph into DJ friendly tracks. Is it house, techno or dubstep? I’m not sure, and to be honest, I'm not too bothered to find out...

Great Scott

What better way to unwind after that much-needed vitriolic outburst than with fifty minutes of live electro from Gosub (many thanks to Dan McE for sending this beauty my way). Recorded live in Florida, where Gosub aka Shad T Scott and sometime Aerosmith knob twiddler hails from, this is more laid back than previous sets here, but the brooding sound textures, the crispness of the 808s and the surging bass are superlative. Gosub's 2007 album, 'Watchers from the Black Universe' was one of the best electronic works of the past few years, and this set comes close to emulating its brilliance. Grab it here and here...

 

 

A little power...

Can be very, very dangerous in the wrong hands. Usually, I try to keep the bullshit politics off this blog and focus on the music. As anyone who is involved with the 'industry' will know however, it's often hard to ignore the multitude of chancers, wide boys and fakes that are attracted to the music business. I'm not sure what it's like in indie or pop, but in electronic music, there are quite a few such characters. Usually, it's better to give them a wide berth, but this week something happened that tipped the scales. I was asked to review Steve Bug's new album for DJ Mag. I emailed the PR, Kim Booth from Rebel Butterfly, for a copy, but got no response. So I emailed the reviews editor and was told that she wouldn't send me one because I had slagged off Josh Wink, one of her other clients. Quite rightly, he said that he wouldn't let a PR tell him who would or wouldn't review releases in the magazine and that he would get me a copy, irrespective of what the PR thought. So let's break down this sad little woman's thought process; I assume she's pissed off with me due to one or both of the following: 1. When Josh Wink had a release out a few months back I posted on a Resident Advisor thread that it wasn't very good; Kim replied to say it actually was very good without declaring that she was the PR for the release and therefore had a conflict of interes -  to which I replied that she was indeed the PR. 2. When Josh Wink did a podcast for RA recently, I posted a reminder in the thread about the accusations Dan Bell made in 2002 that Wink had 'copied', without his permission, one of his tracks and sold it as one of his own. Neither post could be construed as being especially damaging; the first was merely a point of information that Kim 'neglected' to mention her vested interest in the release; the second a story that has been around (almost) as long as there have been techno message boards. I wonder even if Wink knows (or cares) about either post -  he's made his money. Unfortunately, his PR seems to be on a power trip and I'll probably never see another Ovum promo as long as she holds the account, which given her puerile behaviour will hopefully not be for too much longer. Unfortunately, Kim's moronic attitude has implications for her other clients; due to her fragile ego, Steve Bug, merely by association, a 100% innocent bystander, has been potentially denied coverage in a major magazine, a great example of the customer getting value from the press officer for hire. Of course in her thick as pigshit decision to deny my request for a promo, Kim probably didn't take the time to think that I know Steve's label peeps. I emailed them to tell them about Kim's behaviour and guess what? They were shocked that she could behave in such a way. They have sent me a promo themselves and they've had a word with Steve to explain how this excuse for a press officer could have potentially resulted in him not getting a review. So well done Kim, your childish behaviour has managed to alienate me and surely raised eyebrows at DJ Mag and in Steve Bug's operation. You have not succeeded in your stated aim of denying me a copy of the release. If this is your best attempt at 'public relations', then you clearly need to sit down and consider a career change. I hear McDonald's are hiring, darling...

Rise of the Replicants

The news that Clone is returning with no less than six sublabels is good news for fans of electronic music, but of equal importance and significance is the Dutch operation's decision to embrace a range of specialities. Focusing on German club techno, Drexciyan electro, classic NY house as well as the Chicago and Italo Disco sounds they are better known for sends out a strong signal that they are taking a wider view of what constitutes contemporary underground electronic music. In so doing, Clone is following a modus operandi that has been advocated a few times on this site over the past few years, albeit with their own spin on it. The approach that I advised was for a group of small labels to come together, form their own physical/digital distribution operation and sell directly to shops, cutting out the middle man. Given that Clone already have a third-party distribution firm in place as well as a virtual and 'real world' shop, the launch of the six outlets provides the missing part, well since the mother label closed a few months ago, of the picture. Clone now not only have the sales and distribution sorted, it looks like they will also own a huge bulk of music they will sell. What impact if any this development will have on the other independent labels that Clone distributes is unclear-  my feeling is that it won't make any difference - but the next burning question is whether Clone  have plans to take total control and to open a digital download store or to acquire a pressing plant. Given what they've just announced, it doesn't seem too far-fetched...

Return of the Clones

Well this good bit of news (and great concept) puts paid to the 'it's quiet out there' post from a few days ago. Look like my credit card is going to get some serious abuse over the coming months...

Stott & Stewart

Ah, Friday evening. The prospect of a long lazy weekend looms (not for me: I’ll be working all weekend), so what better way to get everyone in the mood than by reviving Claro Intelecto and Andy Stott’s joint podcast for RA? Mellow dubby techno that never meanders is on offer here, although the grooves get more stripped back and the percussion spikier as it progresses. Stott & Stewart (they sound like a solicitor’s firm!) rank very highly in my estimation and they have never put out anything that has been below par. Apart from Stott’s new EP there hasn’t been much original material from these producers over the past year - this is a gentle reminder of their prowess. Grab it here…

 

 

 

To Hell and back

In the same month that The Hacker & Miss Kittin release the follow-up to their 2002 debut album, their former label boss, DJ Hell is also putting out his new album. It's a coincidence, although the conspiracy theorist in me wants it to be a concerted attempt by one of them to steal the spotlight because they had a falling out, but it also serves to show how far apart they now are sound wise. The French duo's 2002 debut was one of the few good things about the awful electroclash 'explosion' of that time, especially Caroline Herve's deadpan singing over glorious pure synth pop ditties like 'Stock Exchange'. Fast forward seven years however, and Kittin sounds bored, a half-assed tone accompanying Hacker's often ridiculously upbeat pop. Hacker tries to redeem the partnership with noisy, bleepy techno like 'PPPO', but listening to Function's mighty remix of the same track, his limitations as a producer quickly become clear.  Hell on the other hand, has reinvented himself yet again on 'Teufelswerk' (devil's work in English). While his fascination with celebrity, especially cartoon rap star P Diddy, is grating, at least he has co-opted someone geuinely cool, Bryan Ferry, to sing on the album. Divided into 'day' and 'night' sections, the latter features one or two decent Chicago and 90s techno bangers ('The DJ' and 'The Disaster' ) and a surplus of dull grinding electro-techno tracks ('Bodyfarm'). However, on the 'day' disc, Hell delivers a more rewarding sound. Inspired by Neu, Can and early Kraftwerk, there are sprawling epics like 'Germania' and even an inspired cover version of prog rocker Hawkwind's 'Silver Machine'. Whether it'll connect with the be-mulleted peeps who wanted more of the same is another question, but unlike his former proteges who are stuck in the 80s, Hell has moved on.

Pondering the divide

There's an interesting discussion going on over at ISM about a new documentary about techno music, 'Speaking in Code', which is set to be released this year. Unfortunately, part of the discussion has broken down into claims that US and specifically Detroit producers are not represented in the film, and that they are more deserving of a place in the documentary that the European producers who do feature. The discussion reveals an underlying feeling and indeed an assumption that Detroit producers suffer for their art, whereas European artists have it easy. I can only speak from personal experience, but when I started listening to techno music I had no idea who was behind the records, who was making the magical sounds that I'd never heard before, and in a way, I never wanted to find out who was responsible. I felt that the music had succeeded in bringing me to a different world (albeit only a hitherto unexplored 'inner space'), had showed me new possibilties for music - and that in learning who made the records and where they came from would demystify the music and, inevitably, detract from the experience. Thankfully, that didn't happen when I later learnt that producers in Chicago and Detroit, but later on producers in London, Sheffield, Leeds and Frakfurt were responsible for the music, nor did geographical distance prevent Detroit DJs from releasing for labels like Berlin's Tresor and gigging all over Europe. I can appreciate that, as a European, I have no idea nor will ever have an idea what it is like to be born, raised and live in Detroit or Chicago, nor will I ever be able to fully understand or appreciate the difficulties that many people in those cities face. However, I would also refute the claim that US DJ/producers don't get their dues on this side of the Atlantic; clubs and labels in Europe have supported American electronic music since the get-go. Sure, there are exceptions where someone gets fleeced or ripped off by an unscrupulous promoter, label or agent,  but it would be naive to assume that such behaviour is limited to one continent; didn't Trax Records, and even further back, Motown, mete out shockingly bad treatment to some of their artists? I'm going to stop now, mainly because I'm veering into the kind of 'us vs them' argument that some people relish and also because the notion of taking 'sides' is irrelevant -  there is only the music -  where it comes from is, to me at least, unimportant. I haven't seen 'Speaking in Codes', but from what I gather, it's more of a personal insight by a group of friends into a scene that they are part of. As far as I'm aware, it makes no attempt to provide definitive answers or conclusions about electronic music -  let's leave that to the listener (and the viewer).

It's quiet out there

Around this time every year, I start to check my credit card and wince at the big chunks that record buying knocks of my creditworthiness. It’s a happy complaint though; I’m more than willing to go deeper and deeper into debt if the pay-off is access to great new music. That’s the way things usually pan out; unfortunately this year hasn’t followed that pattern yet. Maybe I’m just getting pickier and picker, perhaps my sense of ennui with most contemporary music is getting sharper or maybe there is something approaching lingering dread in the back of my mind about what might be about to happen (eg, things get worse and we’re reduced to a hunter-gatherer state of existence), but whatever the cause(s), I have bought far fewer new records this year than in recent years – although I continue to mine the rich back stock/reissue sections of my favourite stores. So is it just me, something that’s entirely feasible, or has this end of days scenario that’s gripping the world a real concern in our own little micro world, in turn making labels, producers etc more fearful and less willing to release music, physically as well as digitally? It's impossible to provide empirical evidence to support this theory, so in the absence of same, I'd like to open the floor to you guys...