Electro 25 Items

/ TTB / Mahala / Raxa Remix ... Storming, squinty Shangaan Electro to herald the current European tour of Tiyiselani, the Tshetshas and producer Dog.

UK techno founders B12 return! The duo's history famously started in the early 90's with their music appearing under a plethora of monikers under the "B12 Records" umbrella - 12" vinyl with notorious cryptic messages engraved in the run-out grooves, before being collected into album form and release on Warp. After a hiatus in the late 90's, the pair resurfaced briefly for some live shows, a flurry of hugely sought-after 12"s and a 7-part CD anthology. They then abruptly disappeared again - this is their first appearance in 5 years, fittingly on Glaswegian imprint Soma. (Their seminal Warp Records album was named Electro Soma...is there a connection?) The Bokide 325 EP Is it a planet to be explored, or the journey through a personal hell? Only a few know for sure but at the end of this voyage expressed in the best way B12 know how, layers of sounds, beats, synths, lush pads, and seductive melodies the hope of a whole new reality is reached. It conjures up foreboding, planetary soundscapes - rooted in the more ambient, filmic side of their output, is it a reflection of recent turmoil within/ the artists personal lives? The EP opens with "Into the Void", whose simple but emotive synth line weaves its way across a variety of beats and sounds, and takes the listener into the depths where the true journey can commence. Onwards, darker and more mysterious notes loom up throughout "Descension" and "Unsound Mind", with pounding bass throbbing underneath, leading further into the world of shadows where the alarming awareness that something isn't quite right never truly leaves you. It concludes with Terra Incognita, the final track of the EP - an unknown place, left to be discovered and completed by the listener.

Next up on Greek label Lower Parts is a fierce EP from the one and only DJ Stingray, who serves up one of his strongest releases in a while and, at the same time, marks his comeback with a bang. Featuring a remix by Athens talent Kon001, who Stingray has been meaning to release for years and who got personally handpicked by him for this assignment, the EP’s titles tell us of the Detroit man’s interest in science, biology and evolution and covers plenty of musical styles. Stingray has won plenty of acclaim with serious releases on labels like Naked Lunch, Bleep and Itinerant Dub. He wastes no time here in nailing down a nervy techno groove on ‘Acetylcholine’, with its hurried kicks, electro synths and slithering bass lines all racing along as you do the same. Dendrite is then a half time, lurching number with serious dub weight and serene synths that manages to be beautiful and brutal at the same time. On the flip, ‘eRbB4’ is a slick, journeying bit of electro-techno with real soul and emotion in its bones, before kon001 does Stingray proud with a dynamic, spangled remix that is metallic and reflective, groovy and evocative. This is a killer release from Stingray and is yet another fine offering from Lower Parts.

First release by the new danish collective count 0, a stellar 7" which can be described as "everything from ebm/post punk to fast dark techno".

Blend has been doing his thing around town since the early 80s..As you can see from these tracks, this cat knows what he's doing!

Known for his role in The Pain Machinery and Severe Illusion, Stockholm native Anders Karlsson has more recently begun to explore similar strands of industrial and EBM in a solo capacity as Celldod, issuing several limited cassettes over the course of 2014. Those without the facilities to consume cassettes will be happy to see some of this Celldod material now issued on vinyl thanks to the efforts of Canadian label Suction Records. Some six tracks deep, Pulsdisco features material from the two cassettes of the same name Karlsson released last year and those that like their EBM minimalist and without vocals will find plenty to enjoy here.

Samples Nu Shooz … whoop!

Gorgeous electro boogie, nothing less then you would expect from PPU!

Re-issue of the classic album by Heinrich Mueller. Originally released in the early 00's (2004 to be precise) which basicly was deep into the future for everyone born before 1980. Techno was still about innovation, stepping into the future, going ahead, updated technologies, exploring the new.? Like previous releases Heinrich Mueller takes inspiration from latest technologies and developments. For this album he had support from Biometric systems Gmbh in Bayern, Germany. He was allowed to visit their laboratories and gather information of biometric research (which at that time was the latest developments in human interaction with hi-technology). The results are 11 tracks that are a brilliant abstract reflection of these new technologies and the effective practical use of these techniques in our daily live. Heinrich Mueller takes his musical journey further away from his well-known early Dopplereffekt releases and several side projects and merges those early projects wit h hi-technology applications available for modern studio engineering. The full length album shows the dark emotions and also the energy and positive feelings which come with new technological applications. These 11 tracks are a selection of musical arrangements with and without rhythmical structures. It’s a collection of abstract interpretations and expressions of human emotions during a period of discovering the latest scientifically applications (in general) and finding new information about the possibilities of biometrical identification in 2004. Actually 3 years into the future if we consider 2001 the fruition of the idea of the future for the 70 and 80's generation. And it was just before or maybe even right at the moment that techno music lost its focus on the future and became retrospective. This album is the future.

Another great Late Night Tales compilation feat. tracks by Disco Inferno, Julian Cope, The Velvet Underground, Spacemen3 etc. ... also features the exclusive Bauhaus track 'All We Ever Wanted Is Everything', as covered by MGMT!

The new edition of Late Night Tales journeys to Scandinavia to invite Norwegian duo Röyksopp to delve through their record collection.

It's been two years since GusGus graced us with their enigmatic Kompakt debut "24/7". This album was return to form for the trio, earning much acclaim and fanfare thanks to its conceptual rigidity and pure glamour. Conceived solely with the help of two precious Doepfer modular systems and Daniel August's all-pervasive vocals, it could have been easily characterized as Gus Gus' unofficial live album. If you had the chance to catch one of their many live shows on their exhaustive world-wide tour, you know what drive and emotion their show brought to the stage and crowd. Let’s fast forward to present day. The trio comprised of President Bongo, Biggi Veira and Daniel August felt the urge to reunite. They set up a makeshift studio in a summer cottage in the depths of the lava field. Secluded in silence and beauty they began working on their seventh studio album and have delivered "Arabian Horse" - a full length that brims with highlights showcasing GusGus’ versatility and stunning songwriting ability to creative levels that we feel is their greatest accomplishment in their 15+ year history. A vast array of illustrious guest musicians and singers abound on these powerful ten new songs. Most prominently, we welcome the long awaited return of former band member and gifted vocalist Ur?ur "Earth" Hákonardóttir who appears on the three songs “Be With Me”, “Arabian Horse” and “Over”. Hogni Elisson recently released a wonderful album with his band Hjaltalin and lends his voice to some of the album's most memorable and deepest moments. Samúel Jón Samúelsson contributes the elevating, goosebump-inducing string arrangements, Davd Thor Jonsson contributes accordion and the banjo. Even an un-named Gypsy combo leave their mark on "Arabian Horse"! Compared to GusGus’ stripped down predecessor for Kompakt, "Arabian Horse" is much more "in your face" – the songs brim with big gestures, enthralling hooks, pop and soul! GusGus have perfected the craft of balancing that fine line between commercial pop and underground dance music. But who needs compartmentalization when we're talking about music and emotion? Take the powerful schaffel (aka shuffle) anthem "Deep Inside" which makes use of big room chords you'd normally hear in more commercially tunes but balances that with a ferocious bass line and vocal duel that belongs to anyone. This sincerity in their music carries throughout “Arabian Horse”. Another prime example of this is the Högni fronted "Within You" – strings converge with his breathtaking vocals backed by a thoroughly addictive techno bass kick. It’s a fact that GusGus retrace their original influences and have created a dance pop album that equally resonates a forgotten period of early ‘90’s dance pop (think The Beloved), classic house music and urban soul a la Massive Attack. But make no mistake, "Arabian Horse" does not sound like pure retro in any way. It's deeply rooted in the sound of today backed by one of the most state-of-the-art quality productions Kompakt has released to date. Still need a tag? Why not: Icelandic Hi-Tech Soul.

Cititrax is excited to present the first in a series of 4 song samplers showcasing the talents of some of the most innovative producers of the moment. Cititrax: Tracks Volume One features Amato, an edgy new project brought to you by The Hacker, Tzusing, a young producer from China known for his hard-hitting L.I.E.S. releases, our beloved Berlin based former New Yorker An-i, and Oliver Ho’s stunning Broken English Club. The overall sound can be described as modern, uncompromising and guttural. Each artist reinvents dance music by bringing their own unique vision to the floor. Artwork designed by Veronica Vasicka and sourced from Polaroids shot in NYC clubs in the 1980s.

"We are excited to reissue Kuedo's classic 2011 album 'Severant' on double vinyl for the first time, and with a bonus track 'Work, Live &
Sleep In Collapsing Space'. The cover artwork has been redesigned by Raf Rennie (Who also designed Kuedo's recent album on
Brainfeeder, Infinite Window). In terms of feeling, ‘Severant’ explores the space between the detached world of the imagination and the
real-time world; that feeling of coming out of a daydream, on the edge of the drift from the day-to-day grind. Jamie says of this moment
”As reality shapes imagination and escapism affects your choices in the real world, there is a strange relational loop between the two
and the space in between the two. There’s a bitter sweetness in that gap, it has a certain emotive quality, kind of in between being and
non-being”. Again, musically ‘Severant’ is inspired by related themes. It sounds as if it’s in a sweet spot between the emotive, innately
futurist synth soundtracks of Tangerine Dream and Vangelis, borne from a time when the very idea of futurism was more prevalent, in
combination with musical ideas and inspiration from the emotionally ambivalent, materialist fantasies of ‘coke rap‘ such as The Clipse.
Rhythmically the record is influenced by what Jamie calls ”the two ultra modern musics of modern times”, footwork from Chicago, which
Planet Mu has explored in depth on its recent releases, and again the drum machine grids of coke rap. Jamie says ”I wanted to capture
a really futurist sentiment, kind of melancholy and grand luminescent, so I used the instrument that most evokes that for me - that
sweeping Vangelis brass sound.” And on coke rap he talks about the emotional ‘half being’ of the music, the energetically charged,
detached ambivalence of the MCs, and the admission that the MCs could be ”fantasising without admitting to doing so.”

As the years go by, the ranks of Degiheugi's fans continue to swell: each time a new solid-gold disc is added to their already impressive discography, the result is a unique and impressive work in the French beatmaking landscape.

Endless smile, the sixth instalment, once again proves to be a great vintage, immediately limpid, but above all long in the mouth, charged with intense melodic persistence and loops that take the ear hostage.

And what a variety of aromas in the art of sampling: languorous strings, oriental flutes, bouncy brass, exotic percussion, intimate piano, samples of antediluvian blues or forgotten French chanson. This Grand Ouest varietal finds its perfect balance in a classic, timeless hip-hop spirit that runs like a red thread throughout the album.

When other beatmakers give in too quickly to the sirens of the dancefloor, Degiheugi always transports us back to his first hip-hop loves, for the pure pleasure of the “beautiful loop”. And he knows how to surround himself with the right people: his guests, whether faithful compatriots (Ghostown, Andrre, Astrid Van Peetersen) or newcomers (Ceschi, Josh Martinez), join in the party with high-flying featurings. The album title sounds like a prophecy: smile eternally as you listen to Degiheugi.

Here's the next soon-to-be-classic by Parov Stelar!

One of the most anticipated releases this year drops late october, so be prepared for Justice and their sophomore banger "Audio, Video, Disco"!