Hello,
Release schedules hit a fever pitch in June as record labels scramble to the finish line before the festival season. It's been harder than ever to separate the wheat from the chaff, but this month's essentials once again represent our cream of the crop.
From techno and house with John Tejada, Robert Hood, DeepChord and Perc, over dubstep flavours coming from Jamie XX, Bnjmn and Pinch, experimental gems by Ricardo Villalobos and Max Loderbauer (also check our interview with the two), and last but not least electric disco by Tiger & Woods, Siriusmo, and DJ Harvey. |
FEATURED RELEASE
Album released 20-06-2011 on Kompakt
Few artists have amassed such a dauntingly diverse back catalogue as John Tejada, ranging from his ambient productions with I'm Not A Gun to bona fide dance floor bombs for Poker Flat.
Now the restless Californian producer has joined forces with Cologne's Kompakt label for his ninth solo album, once again showing off his mastery of the techno long format.
'Parabolas' is an accomplished album that is a perfect display of Tejada's stylistic versatility, yet at the same time carefully establishes a common sound aesthetic.
Tejada's typically dreamy analogue synth melodies are balanced by more spacious and abstract bleeps and soundscapes, whether tracks fall into the tech house category like the album's single, 'Unstable Condition', explore electro and electronica flavours ('Subdivided', 'Timeless Space') or beatless ambient ('The Dream', 'The Honest Man').
Reflective and cheerful, restrained and exuberant - 'Parabolas' encompasses a wide range of moods and sentiments without ever sounding patchy, something only an accomplished producer like John Tejada knows how to achieve. Excellent.
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ESSENTIAL EXCLUSIVES
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EP released 30-06-2011 on Pomelo
Following up on last years 'I Won't Conform' Alex Cortex returns to Pomelo with a four-track EP that underscores both his versatility and idiosyncratic sonic palette, from the crackling, abstract techno of 'Your Sexy Moves' to the Detroitish flavours of 'Klein Bottle' and 'Emergence's breakbeat allusions. Ace.
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EP released 26-06-2011 on Trust
Vienna's number one electro duo returns after a prolonged absence with four fresh cuts: Abstract subaquatic electro followed by the abstract, almost oriental electronica of 'Andolit Swaras' and industrial hip-hop with 'The Bliss', which features NYC rap legend Sensational on the mic. Welcome back.
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Two anonymous tracks out of Rotterdam (but it's actually not too hard to guess their creator): 'Splice' is a perfectly timeless slice of epic Chicago house in the vein of Virgo or Farley 'Jackmaster' Funk, while 'Project Piano' is reminiscent of Phuture's 'Rise From Your Grave'. Killer cuts.
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TECHNO / HOUSE ESSENTIALS
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Album released 20-06-2011 on M-Plant
Robert Hood presents 'Omega: Alive', a recreation of last year's acclaimed 'Omega' LP, including reworked versions of tracks from the celebrated M-Plant catalogue. Recorded from rehearsals for his live performances, Hood reinforces the uncompromising minimalism in techno that he single-handedly established.
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Album released 27-06-2011 on Soma
Soma Records strides on strong with its 20th anniversary celebrations this year with Rod Modell's first solo album in several years. Produced mostly during an extended stay in Amsterdam (as the title suggests), his take on classic dub techno is as ever his own - deep, dirty and dreamy. Highly recommended.
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Perc has spent years honing his craft, producing moody, dark techno for CLR, Kompakt, Drumcode and his own Perc Trax imprint. His album debut, 'Wicker and Steel', contains the depth and variety not immediately associated with a techno long player, showcasing the versatility of this prolific talent. Massive.
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EP released 29-06-2011 on Minus
Minus drops quite a bomb before the summer break with Mathew Jonson's long overdue return to the label, 'Learning To Fly'. On two 12-minute-long versions Jonson evokes the spirit of 'Marionette' with a nod to Detroit, the Red Planet and 'Knights of the Jaguar'. Nice.
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Album released 20-06-2011 on BLKRTZ
Deadbeat launches his own label BLKRTZ with his sixth album, 'Drawn And Quartered'. Across five long and enveloping tracks the Canadian producer delivers a fantastic cross-section of his work so far, touching on electronica, ambient, house and techno with dub serving as the album's common denominator.
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EP released 27-06-2011 on !K7
An EP of exclusives preceding Danilo Plessow's upcoming DJ-Kicks volume, 'L.O.V.E.' brings together a grooving disco beat, moody chords and charismatic vocals. 'Basement L.O.V.E.' reworks the first cut with booming, Theo Parrish style kick drum and even deeper vibes. Hit!
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DJ Phono might be known as a member of pop-hoppers Deichkind, but 'Welcome To Wherever You're Not' is not about party tunes but about grand emotions, gradually raising the intensity from fragile piano sonatas to Apparat-style electronica techno over the course of its twelve tracks. Fantastic album!
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Dutch technoist Niels Luinenberg unleashes the third and final part of his 'Setup' series on Delsin sublabel Ann Aimee. The beefiest of the three so far - stern-faced, heads-down impeccably produced techno purism strongly influenced by Detroit in its minimalist and industrial-maximalist forms. Punishing!
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'Spirit first, technique second' - Auxon's debut lacks neither: 'Hon-Ken' boldly spearheads this year's trance revival surfing lush synth arpeggios. Get Physical's Lopazz & Zarook supply a bleepy house mix, while Tokyo's Liquid Pegasus slows it down for a fantastic cosmic disco rework. Big one.
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The UK-based producer, Shifted, has taken on a purposeful stance towards anonymity in classic techno fashion, rising from the underground with several hard-hitting releases this year. He brings his deep, cavernous brand of techno to the first time on Luke Slater's Mote-Evolver label, his highest-profile release yet.
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Maxi-Single released 27-06-2011 on CLR
After their outstanding beast of an album 'Demiurge' this year, Emptyset's 'Altogether Lost' gets a further set of remixes. Two from Ben Klock, pumping the original with a bass-fuelled swing featuring claps then sparsely dissected with icey tones, Ripperton's smooth deepness removing the grit. Top.
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Bruno Pronsato's third album and the first for his own Thesongsays label continues the direction of his recent singles: shimmering, minimalistic jazz house grooves, traces of vocals and haunting dub moods come together as a wonderfully coherent, atmospheric and intricately textured album. Highly recommended.
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Following her productions for Spectral Sound and Ghostly International, Chicago-based producer Kate Simko joins the Hello Repeat camp for her new album 'Lights Out', a varied journey of deep and minimalistic, techno-induced house music, interspersed with ambient and electronica pieces. Recommended.
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Man behind-the-scenes at Ostgut Nick Höppner, finds some time out to spoil us with a rare treat of his own productions. 'A Peck And A Pawn' swings a house groove with a gentle UK funky flavour, 'She Parked Herself' old school with an acid touch, 'Swivel Flick' utterly deep and dreamy yet gritty. Don't miss!
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Nicolas Jaar's acclaimed debut album gets its first set of remixes: Pépé Bradock reworks 'Too Many Kids...' pepping up the sparse, sombre original in a hattrick of three remixes, each equally lush and intriguing. Dave Aju brilliantly perks up both tempo and groove of 'Space Is Only Noise...'. Smashing!
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Tensnake embarks on a mission of sound archaeology with 'Something About You', a tribute to the late-80s sample house of pioneering producers such as Todd Terry. Orchestral stabs, vocal snippets and 707 beats lay the foundation for a catchy piano line and a vocal hook kicking in mid-way through the track.
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Two lovely cuts preceding Cosmin TRG's impending album release: 'Fizic' takes a Rob Hood style shuffle groove and blows it up with fat Detroit pads and a well-timed breakdown. 'De Dans' follows a similar line, with chord stabs and staccato drums leading the way. Sweet.
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Jacob Korn contributes the first solo EP to his hometown's much acclaimed Uncanny Valley label: Organic stomper 'She' receives two great remix treatments from current hotshots Iron Curtis and John Talabot, and the epic house jam 'Once Love' gets thrown in as a bonus. Excellent release, essential!
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Good Guy Mikesh & Filburt strike gold with this wonderful EP on the newly launched Exquisite Pain Recordings. 'Gold Snake's shimmering dramatic synth-lines make a slo-disco house daze, 'Come On' goes laidback house with piano and strings, with an oozing warm Iron Curtis remix to boot. Top EP!
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Great mysterious collaboration EP that starts out with the epic 'Wishing for an End', a track that sounds like a minimalistic get-together of Larry Heard and The Knife. 'Comeback Dust' is a more percussive Chicago jam with a characteristic vocal sample, getting a lovely deep treatment by Legowelt. Winner.
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After 'Your Words Matter' in collaboration with Ramadanman, Midland returns to Aus Music. 'Through Motion' keeps it lush and sparse, ebbing synth wash under the babysoft snares, 'Shelter' a shuffly, biting and moodier groove and a Tevo Howard remix doubling the lush factor. Highly recommended.
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Disco Nihilist Mike Taylor surfaces on Running Back with six raw and jacking tracks. Opener 'Greasy Grind' is a particularly mean slice of stomping Chicago acid, and while subsequent tracks like 'Sci-Fi On Tape' deliver slightly deeper moods, this is definitely one for fans of rough and dirty house music. Recommended.
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Compilation released 06-06-2011 on Laid
Since it's inception in 2009, Dial Records' sister label, Laid, has been available strictly on 12" vinyl only featuring the most essential house tracks in the past 2 years. We are finally treated with an official compilation showcasing tracks by the label's illustrious roster of artists, Kassem Mosse, John Roberts included.
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Album released 13-06-2011 on Dial
Pantha Du Prince's debut album from 2004 gets a digital release. From the softer 'St. Denis Bei Licht' to the dancier 'Eisregen' Hendrik Weber's effervescent, atmospheric and richly textured take on techno has an innately elegant sensibility which makes it an album still sounding just as lush in 2011.
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Once again directed by Hannes Stöhr of 'Berlin Calling' fame with additional visuals supplied by Berlin's Pfadfinderei, '2010 - A Live Documentary' features live footage of Paul Kalkbrenner's biggest tracks to date as well as a one-hour behind-the-scenes documentary. '2010' is now available from zero" as a HD (720px) video edition.
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Paul Kalkbrenner takes on his superstar status with a good measure of irony, since the movie-hit 'Berlin Calling' made Berlin's techno scene the talk of everyone and their mom. Declaring 'Me Again', his album returns to his minimalistic and melodic techno roots.
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Oliver Bondzio and Ramon Zenker and their worship of the Roland 303 (known for using up to six of them at once!) has paved their prolific career, various chart successes as well as a large fanbase. Now reflecting on twenty years of pioneering acid techno, this compilation says it all - Hardfloor is hardfloor!
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DUBSTEP / HIP HOP / ELECTRO ESSENTIALS
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Maxi-Single released 06-06-2011 on Numbers
Jamie XX's hugely anticipated Numbers debut is finally here and promptly fell prey to some high-profile slagging on the web. We beg to disagree: 'Far Nearer's tropical steel drum warbles have made the tune one of our summer hits so far, and 'Beat For', a bassier and moodier effort, is great as well. Essential.
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Getting his break providing beats of Soulja Boy and Lil B, New Jersey product Clams Casino crafts moody, slow-churning, and entirely engulfing sonic collages, fitting perfectly within the Tri Angle roster. It's easy to dive into this producer's engrossing emotional sound. Truly memorable and highly recommended!
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Releasing virtually exclusively on Eglo Records, Floating Points has gained attention from a worldwide audience for his distinctive and wholly unique blend on house, downtempo, and freeform jazz. The colorful 'Marilyn' and crunked-out 'Farukx' feature on the latest of his acclaimed releases for Eglo.
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Second release on Civil Music by Darling Farah and this one's a bomb: 'Exxy' is a powerful, minimalist Detroit 'stepper that wouldn't feel out of place on Hotflush. 'Younger' and 'Show Me' surprise with more adventurous arrangements, and 'Crown' follows a moody(mannish) straight and housey path. Ace!
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One of the most recognizable tracks to appear on the sh*t-hot Night Slugs label, Girl Unit's 'Wut' defined the label's unique sound with its crystalline synths, catchy cut-up vocals, forward-thinking club mentality. Dirtybird/Mothership boss, Claude Von Stroke gets a firm hold on a bubbly broken house remix.
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Holy Other has conjured up wild internet clamour for their slow-pitched gothic moodyness and chopped/screwed R&B vocals setting them to be the heir apparent to last year's breakthrough acts How to Dress Well, Balam Acab, and oOoOO. Landing also via Tri Angle, Holy Other's 'With U' is their long-awaited debut!
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Former Gigolo artist UHU surfaces on new Italian electro imprint Sauroid with a fresh new mini album: Six original tracks that infuse Drexciyan electro with a solid dose of synthpop and chiptune flavours plus a remix by Solar One's Komarken Electronics. Nice.
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Icicle's collab with house music god Robert Owens has been around as a teasingly limited 10", and the official release now features additional mixes from Alix Perez and Marco Del Horno. The essential originals of 'Redemption' and 'Galacticstep' are still our favourites, but your mileage may vary. Check!
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A first preview of Hudson Mohawke's upcoming 'Satin Panthers' EP (scheduled for an August release), 'Thunder Bay' takes no prisoners with its staccato bass lead - inspired by grime as much as Baile-funk - its tumbling, shuffling beats, high-pitched vocals, and a massive breakdown. Killer.
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ELECTRONICA / AMBIENT ESSENTIALS
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Raster-Noton presents its third album by the French-born, Berlin-based avant-garde artist/producer, Kangding Ray. Although airy and elegantly composed, something fierce and primal exists within Letellier's work - one can't help but feel a feral energy while taking in the 11 tracks comprised in 'Or'.
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Legendary Detroit producer John Beltran with releases on Peacefrog and Planet E cites his ambient works as some his own personal favourites. Via Delsin he releases this selection, recalling abstract UK electronica and 90s chillout, it's indeed quite fitting for winding down in this decade too. Lush listening.
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An excellent tribute to legendary German space rock outfit Popol Vuh: Volume one collects original tracks as well as some of their soundtracks for Werner Herzog films. Volume two has luminaries such as Moritz Von Oswald, Peter Kruder, Mika Vainio, and Schwarz/Âme/Dixon on remix/editing duties.
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Cologne's Ada's second full-length 'Meine zarten Pfoten' (My Tender Paws) appears on DJ Koze's Pampa. Sounding more tender and downbeat than 2004's 'Blondie', plucked guitars and cooing vocals open the album, with magnificent melodies, woven textures and jazzy touches making a divine listen.
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British ensemble Dakota Suite release a further full-length album, showing a brighter direction in their sound. The delicate and fragile artistry still intact, with smokey jazz components roaming in melodic frames, brushed cymbals, bass, piano and electronics making a highly enjoyable listen.
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Vancouver's Cameron Reed follows up his debut 'Shaved EP' on Warp with 'Endless Path'. His twisted breakbeats, shadowy bass and sinister synth textures are so excellently executed, it's not hard to see why he's being bigged up by Gonjasufi, Salem and Odd Future. Pretty damn sick!
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Sasu Ripatti's first release as Vladislav Delay since 2009's 'Tummaa', he finds time away from Moritz von Oswald Trio and Vladislav Delay Quartet for this EP on Echocord. A thickly textured dubby palette sculpted with his usual sonic expertise and a stunning Villalobos-Loderbauer remix to round it off.
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After featuring on Affine's excellent 'What A Fine Mess We Made' compilation, Zanshin releases his debut EP. Bright and energetic melodies, fizzed-up beats and cosmic ambience make for a dreamy sort of organised chaos which places Zanshin perfectly on the label. A true delight to listen to.
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With the Ghostly reissue of his 'Cyanide Sisters' EP earlier this year, New Jersey's Com Truise's epic synth-topias have found themselves a deservedly wider fanbase. Now his debut album proper immerses in heady 80s-inspired synthscapes, buff beats and that very addictive retro-futuristic feel. Recommended.
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ALTERNATIVE / POP / DISCO ESSENTIALS
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Getting fans of excellently produced, slo-mo disco edits rather hot under the collar over the past few months, the elusive Tiger & Woods shimmy on with their debut album. Their winning soulful vocal samples spliced with loving overdoses of disco and funk make for 100% arms-in-the-air groovers. Brilliant!
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Part one of two volumes collecting the output of the enigmatic Siriusmo over ten years, including previously unreleased tracks such as 'Dunkelrot' and 'Hello DJ'. His melting pot mix of styles is finely represented in all of its unmistakeably electrifying glory. Essential for Siriusmo fans, new and old alike!
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Everybody to the sun: DJ Harvey brings his Locussolus project to the album format, and featuring the talens of Andrew Weatherall, Emperor Machine, and Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas this is a fantastic, 1:30 hours long journey of lush cosmic disco, psychedelic dubs, and krauty garage jams. Delirious.
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After singles on Meakusma and Rush Hour, Massimiliano Pagliara releases his debut full-length on the prestigious LARJ imprint. Thick with retro-synths and dreamily slow disco-influenced beats and vocals, Chicago house and synthpop arife, it's nostalgia with a modern twist. Blissful listening.
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Joakim, man-behind-the-scenes at Tigersushi, releases the title track of his upcoming fourth album 'Forever Young'. Tender vocals leading a lovingly produced dreamy pop track, with two fine remixes from label artists Discodeine and DyE, the latter a housier take with full-on summer vibes. Nice.
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With the departure of Tyondai Braxton, Battles see an accomplished change of direction. 'Ice Cream' feat. Matias Aguayo marks an upbeat, gleeful and less rigid style, with psychedelic and industrial edges added to minimalist math-rock roots. Guests by Gary Numan, Blonde Redhead's Kazu and Yamantaka Eye.
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Icelandic popsters FM Belfast return with a second album after 2008's 'How To Make Friends'. You wouldn't guess the core line-up has members of ambient experimentalists Múm, their bouyant and energetic blend of saccharine electro-pop bouncing with a catchy hyperactivity. Sweet.
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Laid-back disco groover 'Still Sound' was one of the highlights on Toro Y Moi recent second album, and on this EP Toby Tobias and French newcomer Voodoo Bear add subtle touches of house music to the track. Deep pads and square-wave bass lines make for three perfectly low-slung summery disco house hits.
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Australia's Carter Bros. contribute a release to Rush Hour that's somewhat closer to Thomas Bangalter or DJ Sneak's treatment of disco than to its contemporary Scandinavian interpretation: Jacking house beats complement filtered disco loops, and Nebraska throws in a fine remix.
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