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| Mark EG's Techno Reviews - Feb 2007 |
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| Written by Administrator | |||
| Thursday, 01 February 2007 | |||
Radial This month’s hard techno slap-daddy comes courtesy of Jeroen Liebreats and Laurens Van Der Starre. It’s a four-track mash up of sound, crossing many different elements of hard techno into one stunning EP. Perhaps the best track on here is ‘Semi Life’, a stutter-kick brain basher but with plenty of space in between the beats for that all-important funk. ‘Dynamo’ is hugely impressive also with a haunting pad sound that works wonders through a crisp sound system. If there’s one harder release you’ve got to buy this month, this is it. M8/M8 ALBUM OF THE MONTH: The Black Dog One of the most influential artists in the electronic/techno scene, The Black Dog are up there with best and this new album from them packs the biggest of their punches. It’s a double album and is essentially a collection of classis and rarities from the Black Dog back-catalogue - all completely digitally re-mastered to take the listening experience to a completely new level. Classics such as ‘Parallel’ and ‘Spanners’ are well known pieces of music that created jaw dropping reactions back in the day, and even now impress beyond belief. The very fact that this music has stood the test of time so very well is reason in itself to go out and buy the album. Roll on the next ten years; it’s been one hell of a ride. M8/M8 Michel De Hey The last release on Hey was the super-impressive ‘Snert’ remixes by Paul Kalkbrenner and Djinxx. But now the label is back with a vengeance and deal us a just-as-impressive minimal number from label owner Michel De Hey himself. ‘Catfight’ is a late night floor prowler of epic proportions, creeping up on you like perverted stalker, pouncing just at the right moment. The B-side is more of the same, but with a lower kick, a darker atmosphere and an almost jazz-like breakdown to confuse the hell out of the punters. It’s good to see Hey really push his music forward and this release documents that progression perfectly. M6/M8 Alex Smoke Glasgow techno wizard Alex Smoke works his magic yet again with this meticulously sculptured landscape for the more discerning club goer, and it’s one you’ll not want to overlook. There are some clever production tricks here – a personal favourite being the constant tweaking of a string based orchestral sound. The attention to movement means the track sucks you in quicker than most and the nod to a more classical sound keeps maximum attention. The EP also features ‘Always And Forever’ – a track that was originally released on 7th Sign Recordings. All in all, this is a package not to pass up. Soma on top form as usual. M7/M8 Ignition Technician Thomas Christopher and Steve Payne’s TCP label is proving to be one of the best the UK has to offer at present. Number seven in their discography and you’ll find Leeds based UK techno legend Ignition Technician at the helm. The A-side is striking enough, with a butt wiggling funk remix from the master Mike Humphries (Mike’s style has changed recently, with more emphasis on the ladies rather than straight downright darkness). But the one that kills the floor every single time here is the original track ‘Ignite It’, sampling an early DJ Hell track – hard and loopy but with plenty of stop/startiness to keep that neck jerking until the final curtain. M7/M8 UMEK You have to hand it to the man, he is certainly following his heart at the moment. UMEK’s new ‘Carbon Occasions EP’ on Earresistible is hitting all the right spots and it’s a double-sided nipple tweaker that uses many influences to produce some stunning results. If you’re into the recent electro house sound, you’ll surely find a haven here. But the key to this is not hands-in-the-air use of early 80’s synth pads. Instead a rather a darker, more intense vibe merges the sound of electro with intense 90’s techno experiments. For many, this track will server as a break out of the norm and is in many way, one of UMEK’s best works of the last 12 months. Highly recommended. M8/M8 Nathan Fake The original of ‘Outhouse’ surfaced last year and it was a belter in the clubs - with it’s distant and distorted melody that sent people crazy in the breakdown. But now we have two brand new remixes and each one offers a cracking new take on that original mastery. Valentino Kanzyani is up first, with an electro-tech number that cleverly brings the melody in at out at various points throughout the experience, creating more of a groove rather than an instantaneous dancefloor assault. Switch over and you get Serbian legend Marco Nastic served up on the platters with a more immediate vibe. M6/M8 Alex Calver Alex Calver’s Glitch label is up there with the best the Schranz world has to offer. This ‘Back To Front EP’ continues to punish with maximum kick appeal and a hardcore style looped vocal that devastates from the very off. There’s a sharp bass synth sound that sits beautifully in the mix until the second breakdown - and that’s when this track really goes into overdrive. Expect legs and arms everywhere, ladies bras all over the floor. This rocks to the point of complete destruction. Only for the hardcore. M7/M8 Repeat Repeat Another smasher of a Soma release this month and it’s by Dave Congreve and Mark Rutherford aka Repeat Repeat. From their album ‘Squints’, this is a haunter of a track – something that would sound even better chased by a serial killer in a dark forest with a whippet. Champion DJ and all round good guy Andy Weatherall gets the prime mix spot but you just can’t help turning over again and again to the original. Dark but mysteriously uplifting pads and a squidgy bassline to kill babies with, means a night of total debauchery given the correct tools for the job. M8/M8 DJ 3000 and Gerald Mitchell If it’s eastern promise and a room full of belly dancers you’re after, then look no further. Underground Resistance talent DJ 3000 teams up with one of Detroit’s masters of rhythm, Gerald Mitchell aka Los Hermanos. A lethal late night cocktail of bongo’s, conga’s and strange looking men with snakes and baskets, this is one unique record. Some people love this and some people hate it, but dropped in the right circumstances and you’re the king of the party with a snake the size of the River Nile. M6/M8 Justin Robertson The infamous Czech techno label Acapulco releases their new bomb from none other that UK godfather Justin Robertson. It’s a house/techno crossover number that fits either at the end of a driving minimal set or the beginning of a driving techno set. With a live-sounding guitar bass line, this one rolls in and out of the speakers with various ‘Gyroscope’ vocal hooks and other impressive hits. The reverse FX keep the track on a dark mystifying vibe as clean closed hat keeps things moving forward. A great party tune. M7/M8 Agaric Agaric is the hugely talented Patrik Skoog, who has recently made the transition from hard techno superstar to minimal master. The Swedish based Skoog had for many years been seen as the leader of the harder sound but last year found a different side to his musical bow. Since the transition, Agaric has been his flagship project and after hearing this latest outing in the series, you are left in no doubt that he’s made completely the right choice. Pops, click and glitches spring out of all corners whilst a melodic bassline rolls along - carrying your head with it. Masterful music from a techno legend. M7/M8 Comments (2)
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