Author Archive: Steve Kerr

LWE’s Top 5 Labels of 2012

For LWE’s second year-end column, staff writer Steve Kerr rounds up the five most essential imprints of 2012.

The ZZZZZ / Abdulla Rashim, Radioactive Orchestra Remixed

The original Radioactive Orchestra tracks, by The ZZZZZ and Abdulla Rashim, are the fruits of a “scientific musical translator,” and come backed with Âme and Jonsson/Alter remixes.

Holly Herndon, Movement

Movement, Holly Herndon’s debut LP, is a diverse but brief collection, underlined by the artist’s manipulation of vocals using Max/MSP.

Christopher Rau, Two

Arriving just a year after Christopher Rau’s debut LP, Two follows its predecessor in breeziness, but with markedly less success.

Vessel, Order of Noise

Quickly named an artist to watch based on records for Astro:Dynamics and left_blank, Vessel joined the hyper focused Tri Angle records for his full-length debut and absorbed some of it sound.

Download of the Week: Anaxander, Donna

This week’s download is an aperitif to Anaxander’s solo EP for the Pittsburgh-based Love What You Feel imprint.

STL, Flying Saucer Attack

STL’s first two contributions to Smallvile were incredible refinements of his somber, druggy sound, and his latest, Flying Saucer Attack, offers its own eccentric beatdown house sound.

Portable, A Process

A Process, Portable’s debut for Live At Robert Johnson, is more a return to previous motifs than a major push forward.

Alden Tyrell feat. Mike Dunn, Touch The Sky

Despite similarities to another track on Clone Jack For Daze featuring Mike Dunn, Alden Tyrell’s “Touch The Sky” is hard to hate when it’s so singularly aimed at a good time.

Innerspace Halflife, Wind/Phazzled

Innerspace Halflife, the pairing of Ike Release and Hakim Murphy, build on the success of their debut with this 10″ single for M>O>S Recordings.

René Audiard, Pechorin

Pechorin is considerably different from Supply Records’ first two releases, as it’s more or less a full album of dub techno from one half of B-Tracks.

Tin Man, Neo Neo Acid

Tin Man’s Neo Neo Acid is very much a return to the producer’s acid roots, with the melancholy he’s so studiously cultivated also readily apparent.

LWE Podcast 132: Ekoplekz

Following on his array of influences, Ekoplekz’s LWE podcast touches on the crossover zones between experimental composition and techno, and also features an exclusive preview of a new track by eMMplekz, a collaboration between Edwards and Baron Mordant of Mordant Music.

Torn Hawk, Tarifa

The four tracks on Torn Hawk’s debut, Tarifa, resemble soundtrack work and stand in contrast to the L.I.E.S’ more dance floor-oriented releases.

Locussolus, Berghain

Proving once again that his musical remit is broader than Balearic, DJ Harvey’s Locussolus guise returns with Berghain.

Protect-U, Motorbike

Seemingly following up on an initiative to sign the semi-related likes of Ital and Polysick, Planet Mu play host to the Protect-U’s third record, Motorbike.

John Roberts, Paper Frames

John Roberts’ Paper Frames EP is a logical move, applying that abstraction to his own preference for deeper house and modern classical motifs.

Moomin, She Said She Won’t Be That Long Away

She Said She Won’t Be That Long Away, Moomin’s first solo release for the Aim imprint makes the case for his quiet consistency.

D’Marc Cantu, A New World

A New World, D’Marc Cantu’s second album in the last year’s time, is an unpredictable show of character from a very crafty producer.