Electro 59 Items

Viikatory returns to Uttu with an incredible 6 track electro infused techno EP - melodic electro rubs shoulders with raw underground house & acid techno”

French pianist Vanessa Wagner collects solo piano studies of graceful minimalism and rare finesse for new album Mirrored.

Quickly following March 2022’s Study of the Invisible album, Vanessa Wagner returns with a new collection of work that paints in many colours. The application of shadow in Mirrored evokes haunting poignancy; the care and delicateness of its negative space leaves room for undulating melodic motifs to ebb and flow; its bold splashes of luminescence are striking and rich. And while the album collates re-interpretations of works by composers as varied as Philip Glass, Nico Muhly, Moondog, Leo Ferré and Camille Pepin, the potency and effect of the collection as a whole reflects only Vanessa Wagner and the extraordinary breadth of her abilities.

Performing solo, exposed to timbre, tempo and clarity, many of the pieces here - such as “Sea Horses” by (Vanessa’s one-time mentor) Moondog or Philip Glass’ “Etude 4” - demand virtuosic abilities as a performer and interpreter. But in Vanessa Wagner’s hands, they are not only made her own, but made mesmeric and magical by the sensitivity of her touch.

Our second installment is going to be a classic 4-track various artist release. Carefully curated and selected pieces of music, produced by close friends, this release fulfills the label's mission of providing a platform for our loved ones. This issue features some incredible artists and friends united on wax. The Berlin and Munich-based duo Medus & Niko S. offer a hybrid track with nostalgic elements of techno, breaks, and progressive house, capable of busting any dancefloor. Longtime Munich resident DJ and producer Dancing Lessons contributes a hypnotic tech-house infused tune with elements of breakbeat and electro, taking the listener on a personal journey through time and space. Munich's young and upcoming producer Johnmon and label owner of Powerloader Records chips in a proper 90s bomb with driving drums, dark, and quirky synths. An all-round tool suited for any dance floor situation. Finally, Vienna-based Doesntmatter polishes off the VA with an expertly crafted electro track. He is the veteran out of the bunch with various releases under his belt on labels such as Traumschallplatten, Reboot Prague, Vienna Underground Track, and Zone Focus.

Some sonic communities grow even in isolation, in the lonely obsessive moments in the studio as time melts away. Deep inside the Detroit Underground nests a Berlin underground, chasing those resonant shared sounds. DU Berlin draws together some of that love felt through music in the German capital. It’s not the wild city of reunification or *Berlin Calling* or tourist-style movies or the easyJet set. This is the side of the city that endlessly romances machines for the sheer joy of it, as The Allegorist titles her track, “until dawn.” And with some big names and emerging, ranging from mainstays to veteran agitators, the Berlin DU crew have telegraphed each other through productions and mutual inspiration. The results vibrate and rumble with sympathetic frequencies, but never limited to grayscale or dithered palettes.

Design: Neubau Berlin.

T.Raumschiere, Akkamiau, Yaporigami, Andre Uhl, The Allergorist,Lars Fenin, Peter Kirn, Jessica Kert, Brayan Valenzuela, Nitta aka Dinamite

Spun Out Agency is honoured to present ‘More of that Frightful Oompty Boompty Music’, a compilation dedicated to the Guv’nor himself Mr Andrew Weatherall who should need no introduction on these pages. Released on vinyl in two beautiful parts, the first drops on April 15th with the second following two weeks after.

‘More of that Frightful Oompty Boompty Music’ (yes we are going to write that out every time we talk about it in this communique) showcases a selection of the shining greatness from the agency’s roster. Paranoid London, Fantastic Twins, Mehmet Aslan, Autarkic, Ruf Dug, Sean Johnston, and Manfredas gift exclusive tracks which highlight the sublime acid, techno and house sound that Weatherall would have described as “oopmty-boompty” music.

Spun Out is a London-based artist booking agency which has been run by Caroline Hayes for over 20 splendid years, that looked after the life and times of Andrew Weatherall alongside his partnership with Sean Johnston under their A Love From Outer Space moniker, and the likes of Optimo (Espacio), Ivan Smagghe, Josh Caffe, Man Power, Body Hammer, Kiara Scuro and many more artists, doing it differently.

Kicking off the A-side of the first record is Hardway Bros’ (aka Sean Johnston) previously unreleased remix of We Are The Axis by The Asphodells, the duo consisting of the Andrew Weatherall and former Battant member and Spun Out talent Timothy J. Fairplay. An energetic techno stomper with percussive rhythms, this exclusive remix offers the ideal tantalising dose to tease any dancefloor. The vocals and synth layers give it a punk rock approach, referencing the multi-genre essence of Weatherall’s taste in music.

Tel-Aviv-based Autarkic’s Sleepover closes the A-side with a chuggy lullaby, one that is certainly unsuitable for putting a baby to bed, given its intricate acid lines of total hypnosis. Following on the B-side is Manctalo Banger, a house bop by the Manchester-via-Ibiza computer game nerd and vinyl digger Ruf Dug, and Shizowaves, Turkish-born Basel-based Mehmet Aslan’s soulful touch to the compilation, bringing Middle-Eastern percussive melodies and catchy basslines.

The second record is introduced by Paranoid London, with a Spun Out dedicated acid techno banger appropriately titled Spinning Out and Fantastic Twins’ EBM track Kali’s Tongue Was A Weapon. On the B-side is Lithuanian chug legend Manfredas’ Hfuhruhurr, and Naum Gabo, who closes the compilation with the chaotic analogue-synth frenzy, Cold Sold. The name Naum Gabo may evoke the pioneer of Russian constructivism, who rose to fame thanks to his crazy kinetic sculptures. However, here it manifests as one half of Spun Out’s Optimo duo Jonnie Wilkes (JG Wikes) and James Savage. The duo’s impeccable manipulation of electronic hardware couldn’t give a better homage to him.

Some highlights for Spun Out artists this summer include 9 acts from the roster playing at Houghton Festival, Paranoid London’s show at Sonar Festival, Love International Festival and Ransom Note’s festival with Optimo Watching Trees.

Manchester's Ourtime Music return with something of a electronic masterpiece.

As 2020 was a very reality altering year that really rattled a lot of cages, the humans world that they themselves exist in, I was shooken up to realizations of the facade that has been pulled over humans eyes by not at their own hand. As we have escaped the brainwashing during the last EP we are now approaching new mind states the influences growth and higher understanding than most.

An astounding compilation of the breakneck Shangaan dance output of the Nozinja studio in Soweto, recorded between 2006 and 2009.

The first two EPs of rising French-Algerian singer-producer-songwriter Sabrina Bellaouel on InFiné are now available on a single 12″ vinyl edition for the first time. At the crossroads of modern electronic production, alternative RnB & North African beats, Sabrina Bellaouel offers her listeners an unprecedented mix of grand emotion of the Pop stage and the cutting-edge underground flair of buzzing nightclubs Textextext - (add your write up) 2020 saw Sabrina Bellaouel step out of her cocoon a fully formed artist.

Copy is close to NM! Great version.

'Lothian Buses' is an EP of genre collisions with Proc Fiskal amalgamating his twinkling, caffeinated grime sound with the rhythms and sounds of other genres, without ever overthinking it. To kick off, `Thurs Jung Yout' is a kind of shoegaze drill with strings and gentle tones swelling and dissipating against busy drill beats. `Baguettes' is a more classic Proc sound, a galloping rhythm against a sparse melody that was a quick fix up for a show that turned out well. `Choco Frito (Calamari)' was influenced by the good life, DJing in Portugal in the sunshine and hearing Kuduro played out. The latticing drum patterns nod to the style, dropping into a sunny accordion chorus with a plucked guitar line. `Scarab Aloph' is Proc's style compressed, full of micro-glitches, tight drum fills and incidental drop-outs across a pretty melody, while `HopeTak2' is his percussive, breezy take on funky house with smiley melodic stabs. Finally, `Mullit Madollock' takes the sonics of airy Bukem-style atmospheric jungle, an instantly recognisable inspiration that's not been as foregrounded in Proc's work before, refitted and updated with grime-inspired melodic bass kicks.

The sublime album debut of O’o inhabits the sonic hinterland where great pop meets the avant garde, and delectable melodies nestle gently with found sounds, musical moods and synthy atmospheres. Comparisons can be drawn with contemporaries like James Blake, Bjork, Laurie Anderson and even Lorde, though such an exercise is reductive given that O’o sound very much in a sonic universe all of their own. ‘Touche’ is subtle, nuanced, clever but never arch, emotional but never melodramatic.

Early Days maps out Nine Circles interpretation of Cold Wave and Minimal Synth. Unbelievably the tracks are mostly from a brief time period, ’80—’82. Alienation and uncertainty course through the 2LP with heavy Korg chords, metallic machine beats and brittle vocals. Nine circles was formed in the early 80s by Peter Van Garderen and Lidia Fiala. In 1980 there was band called Genetic Factor. This band split up when the three members got girlfriends and they started to make music together with their girls. So at that time there were 3 bands living together in one house.

Emerging from a thick spiralling haze, is the debut album from Mystic AM - a new project from Rod Modell and label founder Ario Farahani. Conceived as an immersive fictional soundtrack piece, the release tells the story of a traveller, some centuries ago, and the rather intense metaphysical experience he unexpectedly stumbles into whilst taking shelter on a hot desert night at Zein-o-Din Caravanserai, near Yazd in Persia. Dusk envelopes the vast barren landscape as the protagonist enters the ribat, treasures of woven silks, ornaments and exotic spices glint under the flickering oil lamps, swirls of perfumed vapour dance mesmerisingly in the darkness. As the music unfolds the events of the passing day quickly melt away, and the unsuspecting traveller is plunged into an otherworldly dimension.

Utilising an extensive collection of old Iranian records as source material, the album is an intoxicating mise-en-scéne of whispering melodies, undulating rhythms, and atmospheric sound details. An active buyer of old Iranian music, Ario began extracting and editing samples from the records acquired during frequent trips to Iran over recent years - during which the mood and flavour of the project began to crystallise. Once handed over to Rod for further processing and arrangement, the album took its final shape - an endless tapestry of sights, sounds, and memories that fade mysteriously into the night’s reverie. Textures seep into one another in washes of colour, and hallmarks of classical Persian sounds filter through - the slow stroll of the daf, scintillating runs of santoor, and solitary lines drifting out of the kamancheh. Bridging the realms of the real and the imaginary, the collaboration signals the first contribution to Mystic AM’s enigmatic concept.

Band words on reissue> The first edition of our own label, Sterbt Menschen Records, dedicated to release archive recordings of ours. The re release of our long time out of print debut album, first released on CD by Old Europa Cafe and vinyl by Blind Prophet Records. Edition of 500. Hand numbered and hand stamped with our logo by ourselves Original artwork (by Carmen Burguess) and the bonus track Exito de Una Ex Santa, as in the original. Mueran Humanos – BIO For the uninitiated, Mueran Humanos can be a tough one to explain. You could list their influences and call them “a psychedelic-krautrock-post punk electronics duo who manage to capture the rich cultural history and excitement of their adopted home of Berlin and infuse it with a sophisticated South American chic imported from their native Buenos Aires”, but that would be doing them an injustice. The reality is that there isn’t anything to explain. They don’t need a pretentious description full of talking points that make music nerds get all mushy and gushy. Once you listen to them, it just makes sense.

Beautiful 1 LP Edition Clasic with 350g cardboard sleeve, Sticker - The holy grail album Mkwaju by acclaimed Japanese percussionist Midori Takada’s Mkwaju ensemble WRWTFWW Records is proud to announce the highly anticipated official reissue of holy grail album Mkwaju by acclaimed Japanese percussionist Midori Takada’s Mkwaju ensemble, sourced from the original masters and available in two versions: a vinyl LP cut at Emil Berliner Studios (formerly the in-house recording department of Deutsche Grammophon) and a digipack CD.

Marquis Hawkes returns to AUS after his second album for Houndstooth, a slew of eps for Unknown To The Unknown and a 12” for Bassiani’s in house label, Horoom. ‘Hashtag Life Goals’ is a three track EP that’s deep, raw and timeless.

Sonically, Marie Davidson & L’Œil Nu’s Renegade Breakdown LP is noticeably different to previous Davidson releases. This is a record which largely eschews the wave music, house and techno influences that drove albums like Working Class Woman. Instead, Davidson and her bandmates Pierre Guerineau (Essaie Pas) and Asaël R. Robitaille (Bataille Solaire) draw heavily from styles like dream-pop, 60s chansons, jazz-tinged balladry and the stately rock style of David Bowie’s The Next Day to create an alluring set of leftfield pop for the twilight hours.

Even on the tracks where Renegade Breakdown comes close to Working Class Woman territory - the steady electro-disco stomp of the opening title-track, for instance, or Gary Numan-esque ‘C’est parce que j’m’en fous’ - the sound here is more slow-burning than its frenetic predecessor. On these cuts the group soften up the chunky Big Beat stomp of an act like Daft Punk with reflexive keys and vocals that reach more for !!! territory.

The connecting thread between Renegade Breakdown and Davidson’s other work is her arch lyricism and appetite for subversion. Few other artists would break the fourth wall with a line like “Oh by the way, there are no money makers on this record”, something Davidson does on the title-track. Throughout the album Davidson & L’Œil Nu never allow the listener to get too comfortable, meaning that, while Renegade Breakdown may sound luxurious, there is a playfulness about it which always keeps you on your toes.

Together they have produced an album of sleek, lush pop tracks which are elevated by Davidson’s trademark wit and wry lyrical content.

Legowelt has been a key figure in the Dutch electronic music scene since the early nineties, steadily relea­sing timeless music that merges the pioneering sounds of Detroit and Chicago with idiosyncratic sci-fi fascinations. "Unconditional Contours" captures Legowelt's stint at the Swiss Museum for Electronic Music Instruments (smem), after he was invited to be the first artist in residence at the institution's "Playroom" project. Legowelt visited Smem in Fribourg, Switzerland, in early 2019 to explore the collection and record music. Possessing an extensive collection of synthesizers himself, he used hand-picked synthesizers from the museum's archive: the rare Farfisa Synthorchestra, the Evs-1 Evolution, the "shittiest rompler ever made", amongst many others. The 10-track album "Unconditional Contours" is both a probe into the vast collection of Smem, and a display of Legowelt's well established composi­tional qualities. Leaving ample space for new sounds to unfold, Legowelt invokes gentle trips, brooding excursions, bleep heavy soundscapes, and reimagined elements of dance music classicism. Smem and -ous are launching the "smem+ous" series to document the "Playroom" residencies. A limited edition of this album was already sent out to early supporters of the "Playroom". Founded in 2016 and based on a collection of more than 5000 synthesizers, organs, drum machines and effects that had been collected over a 35 year period by Klemens Niklaus Trenkle, Smem offers residencies, studio sessions, talks and workshops.

Two years after the release of the Polarius EP Inner Voices Of A Clown, Danny Wolfers returns to Altered Circuits, this time under his best-known alias Legowelt, for Ruins Of Cracktopolis: a collection of "hymns to survive the dystopian circus of today's techno scene" in the artist's own words. On Do You Know Who You Never Be, a short staccato lead and dark chords revolve around a monolithic kick drum pattern that takes care of the cadence and bass. A mysterious vocoder and a laser sequence that gets torn and twisted to the max join, but the track never loses its steady pace - it gets help from shakers so much mixed to the front they could be lifted from a B'more track. Amidst the effervescing 303 lines and bold drum sequences of In A Trance Dance All Night" Wolfers finds a canvas for a stretched synthesizer jam with eighties breaking allure. This melody, together with the pads and vocal, are drenched in reverb - they float like mist ascending from the The Hague dunes. Throughout Ruins Of Cracktopolis, more vintage Dutch West Coast, the hiss-laden broken beat that guides the bass sequences and ominous blippy synth patterns switches to a 4/4 structure and back. These make for captivating shifts in pace while the minor progressions continue unfolding. Like Twin Peaks targets prime energy once the arpeggiator sequence present from the start lowers an octave. The track runs smooth like a pomade slick-back; it's only tempered slightly when the crunchy kick and tom change place for a moody chord sequence break. Even if these four tracks target the club, they are equally suited for - quoting Wolfers again - "leisurely home listening". Their greatest strengths are, as so often, their melodic aspects. The artist is known to be a synthesizer aficionado, but his unique personal touch immediately shines through no matter which gear he works with. The machines never seem to dominate the composing process; quite the opposite: it's as if he isn't programming or registering as much as trying to teach them his take on electronic music.

Vinyl with a couple of light scuffs, closer to VG+. 2 Black labels, on some copies one label is written with a marker "Instruments Of Darkness'' (not on this copy).

Following in the tradition of artists like Detroit in Effect and DJ Di’jital, Kid Ginseng brings us another dose of classic, analog-driven electro with his newest EP, Twenty One. The EP features two versions of three hyper-catchy cuts, and both the remixed versions and originals are capable of holding their own. Kid Ginseng’s work might be compared to early K1 and DJ Godfather, and Twenty One gives us a dose of drum sounds with character, while embracing the sound of the sampler by using diskettes à la 1980's LA electro. Detroit electro, though, continues to be a central inspiration, and the first cut, “Keep Your Distance”, is a prime example of this. The track features watery analog elements that build around a video-game inspired vocal sample, and its lo-fi percussion gives it an authentic, analog touch. The remix double of this track, “Keep Your Distance (Trashcan mix)”, has a different feeling altogether but nothing is lost. A muted electro synth melody hooks us, as does slapping, steady percussion. But “Keep Your distance” is just the first example of the infectious melody and raw character that permeates the entire EP. “Bang the Boom (Bare Bones Mix)” delivers a similar vibe, but leans darker with a deep, gritty bassline that fuels the shadowy force of the track. It’s twin remix, “Bang the Room”, maintains the same beat structure but switches it up with some added vocals that bring extra fire to the dance track. The real standout, however, is the dance floor banger “Roller Rink Scratch”, which employs classic scratch samples from DJ Quest. The samples not only energize the body and mind, but they maintain that lo-fi feel, and therefore, rather than dominating the track, keep it balanced. In fact, for such power bangers, the EP feels extremely balanced, and nothing feels out of place. All elements blend well together and deliver an incredibly rewarding listen that is pretty much guaranteed to get you out of your seat. It’s one of Kid Ginseng's best yet.

"Quarter Water by Kid Ginseng is a smash hit. A must-buy for the electro heads. Pick up a copy today!" - DJ Di'jital (Underground Resistance, Direct Beat) "Quarter Water gets me going like strong caffeine. A deep cerebellum massage. Any and every Kraftjerkz release is a gem. Kid Ginseng is something up-front in my monthly listening." - Money Mark (Beastie Boys, Mo Wax) "People haven't heard lows and snares like this from me before." - Kid Ginseng (Kraftjerkz, Tom Tom Club)"

The music of Jack Bags comes from multiple contaminations and a deep love for vintage analog sounds. Panorama Groove is a journey through those sounds and a personal vision of those genres that are constantly inspiring.

Our favourite Norwegian noisemaker returns with a new label called Cosmic Oslo.

This debut voyage sees Rune teaming up with 'The Balearic & Cosmic Disco queen of Norway" Helene Rickhard. It's a wonderfully varied & esoteric affair, with the ominous opener casting cavernous sonic shapes lit by the midnight sun. The astonishing first cut is followed by 'Fiero', a haunted cosmic pop affair.

On the flip 'Hubris' reminds us of early 90's 'One Dove' era Weatherall productions, while 'Julemix' is a FX drenched optimistic ambient piece.

How a boy from the Sri Lankan jungle formed the greatest post-punk band you’ve never heard. Fronted by an intense singer with an oblique songbook and a mysterious past Glorious Din were unlike any other group to emerge from San Francisco’s ‘80s underground. With singer Eric Cope, the chosen persona of a Joy Division-obsessed Sri Lankan boy who travelled halfway around the world to follow his punk dream.

How a boy from the Sri Lankan jungle formed the greatest post-punk band you’ve never heard. Fronted by an intense singer with an oblique songbook and a mysterious past Glorious Din were unlike any other group to emerge from San Francisco’s ‘80s underground. With singer Eric Cope, the chosen persona of a Joy Division-obsessed Sri Lankan boy who travelled halfway around the world to follow his punk dream.

Dalmata Daniel welcomes Filmmaker and Petros Spatharos for the eighth part of their split series. This obscure 3-3 track vinyl is the debut of the Columbian music maker on the label. However, for the Athens-based producer it's a return after his participation on "Dalmata Daniel eats Lahmacun" compilation. But this project isn't their first collaboration, because Petros released his first album on Body Musick, Filmmaker's own imprint.

Filmmaker probably doesn't really need to be introduced to those who are comfortable with contemporary underground music. In less than five years he has composed and released a huge and relevant oeuvre by himself or on labels such as the UK-based Opal Tapes, Dutch Tartarus, Greek Phormix or the German Veyl, etc. To add Dalmata Daniel to this list is kind of a dream come true for the label, because they have been following his musical journey since the beginning. And no doubt, his side of the vinyl is another testament to his already perfected sound. What you recognise from the first moment of this noisy, industrial, sometimes dissonant ebm driven electro, infused with a film noir atmosphere and total darkness.

While on the flip side, Petros Spatharos keeps the obscurity going, which is the real link with his split partner's music. Only his sound is clean, not chaotic, but rather underworld techno with an extremely restrained tempo and some beyond-the-grave acid screams. That's how this inferno journey will be complete with full of dark emotional atmospheres and hypnotic textures.

Live & Direct from Miami Beach, FL… EZ Dee weaves together a fine-tuned contemporary fusion of classic dance music influences ranging from bassline-driven proto-house, deep slick electro, downtempo club music & plenty of acid… You may recognise his signature touch from our Club Tools Vol.2 12” where he was featured as Bong Soup… an alter-ego lurking deep within the depths of Villa D’Otto Keep your eyes and ears peeled for more from this cat… he’s only just getting started..

Brains rule for the next No Static / Automatic release as the hyper-prolific DMX Krew presents five new tracks of laser gun acid, bleepy electro and mutant tunnelling techno on Brain Mutants EP. Ns/a could not be more honoured to bring DMX Krew to the label, hugely influential in UK’s electronic music world, the sheer mass and relentless ingenuity of his release history is breathtaking. There’s over 24 albums and even more EPs released to date, found on Rephlex Records, his own Breakin and Fresh Up labels, and more recently a string of albums on Hypercolour Records. It really would not be right to pin him down to one style of beat with the expanse of his work covering braindance, electro funk, pop, acid, ambient, techno and beyond. Working with the Aphex Twin created Sample Brain, old disco records and analogue synth notes were fed into the sample mashing web app to create the sounds used on this EP. Label boss Ara-u picked out his favourites from the palette which DMX Krew cut up, looped and added in rock-hard drums. The results are super playful, high calibre club tracks you expect from the one and only DMX Krew - designed for heavy impact on the club floor.

/ industrial lies

Deep dive into the realm of electro music. Hypnotic multi-layered baselines, unpredicted drops and bursting beats would make precise, nevertheless not full definition of this EP.

Following the debut of the sequel with an exhibition showcasing artwork's creation and conceptualization, we face SEQ002: False Destination, a new chapter where the story continues in an unexpected way. It holds the question, to which unknown territory did the agent headed from his collapsed dimention?

Side A takes you on a journey that echoes the spirit of interdimensional travel, a recurring theme in electro music. Impact One throws you into a captivating sonic environment, grabbing your attention with distinct sonic events, all layered over a foundation of subtly shifting rhythmic patterns. A2 is another mention of wrong dimention, hard alterations on early 90s Rave revivalism with peculiar artifacts and touch of blue note with breakbeat burst out conclusion.

On the flip, a couple of heavyweights. Thick kicks jumping from 4-to-the-floor to broken beat, uncertain breakdowns and unexpected amen breaks driving audience on the edge. Hypnotic bassline for B1 was characterized as Giorgio Moroder on steroids. Last track is a calm blend in ending on a hybrid cosmic breaks combined with Yamaha DX7.

/ chop suey / Fancy 'What's your name again Busy P remix'

Awe Kid explores ideas of trans-humanism, evolution and digital immortality on Body Logic, a fantastically lush new album for Atomnation. The immersive 10 track record plays with organic, breathing textures punctuated by moments of digital unrealness to result in an album permeated with a dream-like quality. This contrast is mirrored by the artwork from Portugal's acclaimed The Royal Studio.

Awe Kid is an alias of Sine Language Records co-founder Rick Parsons. It is the product of years spent exploring a multitude of different music. From early days in post-hardcore groups and on to a love of 90s Warp, electronic jazz and more experimental niches, the multi-instrumentalist has now settled on his own unique fusion of breaks, ambient and left-field dance music. This deft studio wizard mixes up melodic nostalgia with forward-thinking sound design using whatever he can get his hands on, from analog and modular hardware, to samplers, field recordings to digital techniques.

Says Parsons, “I love working with digital processes because you get these unexpected moments where you dial something in, that somehow takes on a tangible, organic form in the real world. Searching for these sweet spots was the motivation for the album, contrasting natural textures against synthetic elements, and finding ways to create something that feels like it exists outside of the computer.”

While the album pays homage to dance music traditions, such as the broken beat of title track 'Body Logic', and full-throttle breaks of 'Zenith', these are assimilated and repurposed to create something that defies genre categorization. The listener's journey is perfectly paced, with broody but uplifting cuts of electronica giving way to shimmering, celestial melodies, and dusty breakbeats emerging from dense layers of atmosphere, only for the mood to be reset with soothing, suspenseful synths and haunting vocal samples. Elsewhere, devastatingly emotional ambient is followed by punchy grooves and propulsive melodies to make for a real ride.

With his first widely available new material in 5 years, Aphex Twin returns with an intricate and melodic addition to his discography.

The machines co-opted in production are as complex as the Weirdcore artwork, layering signature sombre ambient chords with intricate drum programming.

‘Blackbox Life Recorder 21f’ marks Aphex Twin’s official and celebrated return to augment our current reality.

Including the Zomby Remix plus "Maze" in a long version!

Sought-after Belgian minimal synth finally reissued.

They were interesting times, the early eighties. Against a backdrop of cold war and economic crises, the DIY attitude of the earlier punk movement had spawned near countless new genres where artists and bands broke the three-chord guitar mould and experimented with new content matter, singular song structures and – in many cases – new instruments. Synthesizers became affordable and were no longer the sole privilege of rock millionaires. All around the globe, musical creativity boomed as never before, and Belgium was no exception: Digital Dance, Snowy Red, The Names, Pseudocode, Marine, 1000 Ohm, De Kommeniste, M.Bryo & D.M.T., De Brassers, Struggler, Siglo XX are but a few legendary names of bands and artists who started making a name for themselves.

In Leuven, things were happening as well. Until then, the music scene in this rather provincial town had been dominated by straightforward rock and blues acts. Not for much longer, though: in places like Arno'z and (later) The Gladhouse, where young budding artists met with kindred spirits, bands were often formed on the spot and, more importantly, started to make ripples.

Ludo Camberlin and Karel 'Bam' Saelemaekers already had a certain track record in Leuven's burgeoning music microcosm. But what they shared would become the cornerstone of A Blaze Colour (Against The Dark Trees Beyond): a fascination for new forms and instruments, a penchant for sonic adventure and a profound love for gripping songs. The full band name, by the way, was inspired by a phrase from the Irish-American novelist J.P. Donleavy, a writer who belongs in the definitely-worth-checking-out section.