Hello,
Modeselektor are back! After four years spent with Moderat and setting up their own label the Berlin pranksters return with their eagerly awaited third album, 'Monkeytown'. Don't just stop reading there however, as September was ripe with many more fantastic albums: Roman Flügel's full-length debut on Dial, Joakim's 'Nothing Gold' on Tigersushi, and Plaid's return to Warp with 'scintilli' for instance.
Don't miss our selection of zero" exclusives either, coming from Stingray313, Mike Dehnert, Gerd and Jovonn vs. DJ Deep this month, while the rest of our recommendations you will find neatly divided into techno and house, dubstep and hip-hop, electronica and ambient, and pop and disco. |
FEATURED RELEASE
Few electronic music outfits have as successfully managed to combine humour, sophistication and sheer block-rocking energy in their music as Berlin-based duo Modeselektor.
Their 2007 full-length 'Happy Birthday!' firmly established Modeselektor as a household name in the premier league of electronic music, and in the four years since, Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary have been busy teaming up with Apparat as Moderat for an album and world tour, as well as setting up their own imprint, Monkeytown, after leaving their former home, Ellen Allien's BPitch Control.
'Happy Birthday!' was never going to be an easy one to follow up on, and the fact that 'Monkeytown' was also chosen as the name of its successor lends some programmatic weight to Modeselektor's third album. Despite the changes the last years have brought about, fans of the group's previous efforts will feel right at home with the album's characteristically hybrid tech-step beats, lush pads and rapid-fire basslines however.
The spirit of continuity is emphasized by the fact that 'Monkeytown' is a reunion with many old friends of the band: Thom Yorke sings on two songs, the moody up-tempo piece 'Shipwreck' and the exquisitely atmospheric 'This', Otto Von Schirach contributes computerized vocals to 'Evil Twin', and LA rapper Busdriver delivers the lines to 'Pretentious Friends' with pizazz.
It is not all familiar terrain though, as Modeselektor collaborate with Warp act PVT for the emotional 'Green Light Go', or venture further into R&B territory than ever before with 'Berlin', starring Miss Platnum on vocals. As with every Modeselektor album before however, the tracks' true qualities will be revealed in the group's live shows, and if yesterday's tour kick-off is anything to go by, 'Monkeytown' has already passed the litmus test.
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ESSENTIAL EXCLUSIVES
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EP released 30-09-2011 on Trust
Sherard Ingram's third EP for Trust, this time as Stingray313, continues to refine the Detroit veteran's truly unique sound aesthetics. Fast, yet deep, at times menacing, at others sublimely melodic, 'Misinformation Campaign' references Detroit electro, techno, dubstep and electronica in four inspired tracks. zero" exclusive.
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EP released 30-09-2011 on MD2
Mike Dehnert certainly can't be accused of being overly playful or ornamental, so his latest effort as MD2 is simply titled 'MD2.4'. Fair enough if the music speaks for itself: Three excellent techno tracks that employ a variety of dub elements and jacking groove devices. Highly recommended, zero" exclusive.
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Gerd drops a vocal-driven, up-tempo Chicago house jacker with 'Palm Leaves', which stands out with a nicely modulating, almost Cajemere-like bassline. Alden Tyrell and Clone main man Serge provide a more reduced dub edit for the flip-side. Excellent.
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A true gem for all fans of classic Jersey house vibes: Clone re-issues this lost mid-90s classic from house legends Jovonn Armstrong and DJ Deep. Title track 'Back in the Dark' comes in a spoken word and a dub version, while 'Spring' unleashes deep and jazzy vibes. You just gotta love those organs!
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TECHNO / HOUSE ESSENTIALS
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Album released 19-09-2011 on Dial
Roman Flügel's album for Dial has been hugely anticipated and it's turned out fantastic: From minimalistic techno jackers to deep disco dubs, Latin steeldrum flavours, and touches of jazz and vintage electronica, 'Fatty Folders' is a subtle masterpiece of versatility from one of Germany's most consistently innovate producers. Buy on sight.
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Album released 12-09-2011 on Kompakt
Brazil's Gui Boratto grabbed attention with his 2007 debut LP 'Chromophobia' on Kompakt and now returns with another long-player of his melodic-emotive minimal techno. Whilst not reinventing the wheel, very well done and a hugely pleasant album, ending sweetly with a vocal track feat. Luciana Villanova.
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A resident of Robert Johnson right from the beginning, Dixon mixes the last in the LARJ series. A true master of dark art of dancefloor stamina, this mix is a slow and sensual burner, starting with krauty quirks and ambience and building up with Agoria, Cologne Tape, Roman Flügel, Osunlade. Pure vibes.
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Absolutely stunning, all-exclusive compilation from the Wagon Repair camp, the first since 2008's 'Wagon Repair Jack Off'. All of the label's usual suspects feature with excellent productions, from spaced-out jams to all-out party blasters: Mathew Jonson, Konrad Black, Deadbeat, Mike Shannon, Class B Band, The Mole, ... Essential!
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Seemingly alluding to the ongoing conflict in Syria, Karl O'Connor drops his first proper Regis release in a decade via London's Blackest Ever Black. 'Blood Witness' (also included in a live version with Mick 'Scorn' Harris) travels down a dark, percussive path, while 'Blinding Horses' introduces shifting drones as a central theme. Powerful stuff.
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His album forthcoming, Dutchman Boris Bunnik selects a few choice cuts to whet our appetites. Opening with the uneasily spacious 'Luminous', lo-swung brooding perc in 'Desolate Ground' set the scene, whilst 'Lonely Run' pumps a cunning bassline and 'Vacuum' resolves in high-grade ethereal dub techno.
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Making his debut as producer with Ben Klock some five years ago on Ostgut Ton, Dettmann's masterful production and DJ style continue to make him a sturdy force in techno. Thick with a virulent cosmic energy, these impeccable tracks tingle and pulsate their way through serious outer-space missions.
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EP released 07-09-2011 on Plus 8
London production and DJ duo Layo & Bushwacka deliver this moody little single on Plus 8. 'Storm & Stress' a wickedly minimal craft spinning eerie details back and forth, 'Artillery' pumping svelte beats with high precision and digital bonus 'Gunpowder' a grainy atmospheric treat.
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The first instalment of Moustache's Techno Series by Gesloten Cirkel was a surprise hit, and Mark du Mosch continues its raw and analogue direction with four tracks that combine the industrial strength of Bunker material with jacking Chicago grooves and touches of West Coast neo-disco. Lovely.
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The transclucent pink rings of the vinyl looking like halos around a not-so-far-away planet, masked man Redshape delivers two killer cuts on his own Present imprint. 'Son Of A…' bites and whirs with a angular yet sexy motoric groove whilst 'Kracken's Game' pads spacey chords round weighty drums. Huge!
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After a stunning debut appearance last month on Echocord Colour by Skudge, Mike Dehnert makes his own debut on the venerable Danish label with this no-nonsense techno EP, 'Briso'. Two chunky, dub-inflected cuts by Dehnert come packaged with a remix by Dehnert's Fachwerk compadre, Roman Lindau.
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The Black Dog's new three-part series is aimed strictly at dancefloors, and calling a track like 'Heavy Industry' big room techno would be quite an understatement - it's the kind of track that incorporates the acoustics of an airplane hangar into its productions and should be listened to in one as well. Massive.
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EP released 05-09-2011 on Ashes
A true don of German-bred house music sees the Move D collaborator's latest release continuing where his sublime 'Hello Ammmerika' EP left off - exquisitely procured synths and 707 beats, oozing an effortlessly sweet cosmic groove and of course deep analogue warmth. An absolute pleasure.
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DUBSTEP / HIP HOP / ELECTRO ESSENTIALS
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Dexter on a funky tip: Following up his recent booty breaks for Clone's Crown Series, Remy Verheijen lets loose the funky house percussions and Detroit pads on four tracks this time, including two mixes of the eponymous 'Great Northern Diver'. One of his best EPs so far and a zero" exclusive - don't wait on this one!
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Upcoming from his much anticipated debut album on Warp, mighty Glaswegian wizard producer Rustie explodes back on to the scene. 'Ultra Thizz' dripping with lazered synths and cosmic r'n'b beat emotions, 'Dreamzz' launches strong into tingling iridescent stars, both with that unforgettably epic Rustie sheen.
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Maxi-Single released 19-09-2011 on Numbers
Sure-fire hits from the Numbers camp coming courtesy of Mosca, who rides an old-school garage wave on this one. Deep house vibes meet female vocals, high-energy breaks and bouncing basslines - perhaps not such an easy sell on the European mainland, this one has 'UK pirate radio' and 'heavy-rotation' written all over it.
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EP released 26-09-2011 on Tempa
Widely credited for being instrumental in the development of UK garage and later dubstep, Horsepower Productions' legacy is still going strong after well over 10 years of releases. The pioneering UK outfit appeared most notably on Tempa, who unearths 4-tracks of their uncompromising sound for 'The Lost Tapes'.
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Berlin bass boy Phon.o finds a new home in Modeselektor's Monkeytown label for his new double pack: 'ABAW 723' and 'Sad Happiness' tick all the right boxes, from dub elements to anthemic harmonies for maximum melodramatic effect. Nice one.
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ELECTRONICA / AMBIENT ESSENTIALS
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Perhaps one of the best, most definitive Fabric mixes ever(!), Kieran Hebden's artistry as a DJ shines strong. Field recordings of the club itself shape a journey through wayward 2-step gems, forgotten early UKF, rough edged house and techno & his own new material. A wonderful, heartfelt mix - utterly ESSENTIAL!
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Twenty years since their debut 'Mbuki Mvuki' in 1991, the London electronic duo return to Warp exploring sonic territories in their expert ever-futuristic, uncompromising style. Tracks like 'tender hooks' and 'african woods' shift and pulse with poppy hyperactivity, counter-balanced with epic ambient moments.
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Album released 26-09-2011 on Kompakt
Since their self-titled debut earned them huge critical acclaim, the London duo of Alessio Natalizia and Sam Willis let their heady, lush electronic sound evolve. Italo house and disco shimmer out above the prog and kraut influences, exquisite guitar and synth concoctions immersing throughout. Utter bliss!
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The Swedish duo of Peder Mannerfelt and Malcolm Pardon seem to attract many comparisons to the epic synth sounds of Vangelis. Indeed their latest album 'In Dust' is thick with a dystopic atmosphere of cinematic scale, a strong Kosmische feel too, the overall result is pretty damn stunning. Very recommended.
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The result of a special performance from early 2010 in London and inspired by various shades of blue, two visionary forces on their respective instruments sees Volker Bertelmann on (prepared) piano and Hildur Gudnadottir on cello conjure up these pieces of incredible richness and intricate beauty. Highly recommended.
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The Emeralds' Mark McGuire follows up his recent, sprawling effort on Editions Mego with a more concise and focused album. Title track 'Get Lost' especially feels like a departure from meandering improvisation towards a psychedelic song writing craft which fuses influences from Kraftwerk to Neu! and Spacemen 3. Special.
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The main solo project of Hanno Leichtman, who in other guises works with Jan Jelinek, Andrew Pekler, Pole and David Moss, sees him creating splendid pop landscapes with strong experimental leanings, engaging years of experience with world class improvisors. Beautiful avant pop full of pleasant quirks.
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Album released 05-09-2011 on Kompakt
Axel Willner drops his third album as The Field since 2009's 'Yesterday & Today'. His immersive electronics focuses on loops building and falling away, at times more sombre like the spacey 'It's Up There' with tracks like 'Arpeggiated Love' and 'Looping…' that more melodic intricate sound he made his name with.
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Maxi-Single released 16-09-2011 on Faitiche
Since resurrecting his much-loved Farben project late last year, Jan Jelinek's totem pole presents some new offerings. Lush analogue plops of 'LesssseN' with lively micro-bounce, 'Xango' twisting darkly, 'Parada' a humid tropical dream and 'Eroten…' like a forgotten ditty from the BBC Radiophonic workshop. Brill!
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A recent visit by snd's Mark Fell to Vienna saw the Sheffield digital experimenter jam with Mego's Peter Rehberg. This fantastic first release sees jilted pistons of drums rotate around cranky chords and muffled radio in 'Kabu' and a slow build up of growling drones and frenetic radar beats in 'Zikir'. Ace.
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ALTERNATIVE / POP / DISCO ESSENTIALS
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The fourth album by Tigersushi boss Joakim sees him playing with a similar crisis-of-age theme as the recent electropop anthem 'Forever Young'. Seeped in 80s synthpop allure, full of quirky funk and disco in a sublime mellowed vibe - immaculately produced (mature) pop gems. Top.
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Whilst Honest Jon's often brings forgotten musics to our ears, this latest set of reworks honouring Nigerian drummer Tony Allen updates the legacy of Afrobeat for today's electronic dance music - with artists diverse as Carl Craig, Diplo and Moritz von Oswald doing the honours. Incredible, essential music!
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'Conatus' is already the third album of super-talented 22-year-old Zola Jesus and convinces with a finely balanced blend of witch house inspired song writing, melancholic synth pop and Nika Roza Danilova’s highly distinctive singing style. Much hyped at the moment and rightfully so.
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Album released 09-09-2011 on DFA
NYC's The Rapture return to DFA, recruiting Cassius' Philippe Zdar as producer. The sound is sleek and fat, their post-punk edginess smoothed somewhat with warm bass and plentiful synths, house and disco influences singing out. A fruitful combination with plenty to dance to here.
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The new moniker of Grizzly Bear vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and producer Chris Taylor, aided by labelmate George Lewis Jr. of Twin Shadows produce this striking debut album. Slow synths and nimble drum programming provide the strongest tracks, a few indie ballads for the Grizzly fans too. Nice.
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Gilles Peterson's signature compilation series, 'Brownswood Bubblers' returns with its seventh iteration since its first appearance in 2006. Compiling 16 diverse tracks from the undoubtedly endless stream of inspiring unsigned music to come across his way, Gilles curates another soulful journey.
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Maxi-Single released 16-09-2011 on Gomma
Spanish flamenco rock meets Swedish psychedelic disco on this collaboration of Hugo Capablanca and T.Keeler. 'No Hay Ritmo' is an 11-minute jam of bouncing bongos, rhythm guitar and rambling spoken word vocals. Comes complete with a slightly shorter dub and added synths and bassline on the P.G.Parallax remix.
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Grace Jones' favourably received 2008 comeback opus 'Hurricane' receives a dub makeover by Ivor Guest, who also produced the original album. Across the album's ten tracks Guest displays his prowess on the mixing board, bringing together classic styles and more contemporary dub techniques. Ace.
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Iceland's Sóley Stefánsdóttir, member of Seabear and Sin Fang shows a hugely impressive depth in her solo debut album. Somewhere in between Sigur Rós, Múm and Joanna Newsom, the piano and voice, creaky atmospheres and melancholy melodies, expose a beautiful delicacy in her songwriting.
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