It wouldn’t surprise me to find out that the majority of LWE’s readers haven’t heard of Altered Moods Recordings. In fact, I only discovered the obscure imprint earlier this year myself. What struck me most was the unassuming and dogged path that label owner, Malcolm Moore, had set off on after starting it in 2004. The focus of Altered Moods has clearly been on developing promising talent and releasing records he truly believes in rather than chasing a quick buck. With 10 releases that reach from deep house to ambient under its belt and no marquee names emblazoned on its record sleeves, you know this is a labor of love.
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BBH: Major Problems, The Effects Can Last Forever
November 25, 2009 – 11:01 AM
There’s been a lot of talk on LWE recently about people stealing or, uh, creatively sampling other artists’ work. Melodic themes (Rodriguez Jr.) and even whole tracks (Joe Louis) being appropriated without due credit to the originators seems to equal pissed off producers and fans alike. So how would you feel if one of your favorite records of all time (and a worldwide hit and bona fide classic to boot) had its bass line jacked wholesale without so much as a “by your leave”? This is the situation I was faced with a few weeks back. Having popped into one of London’s Music and Video Exchanges, done my usual trawl of the racks, and come out delighted with a Nu Groove record for a mere £2, I put the needle to the wax of Major Problem’s “The Effects Can Last Forever.” After thirty seconds of fuzzy beats and John Lennon intoning, “take this, brother, may it serve you well”, the familiar dungh-dungh-dungh-durr-dungh of “No Way Back” comes crashing through. Did I feel ripped off at Adonis being ripped off?
Function, Remixed
November 24, 2009 – 11:01 PM
Sandwell District have been making acerbic waves in the techno scene for a couple of years now, and in 2009 it’s common knowledge that if you want proper techno you’d best head to Sandwell. Given that every one of this year’s SD releases, aside from Silent Servant’s fantastic “Negative Fascinations,” has been technically a remix, the choice to abandon the usual procession of catalog numbers in favor of the new “SDRM” code for this new 12″ of remixes is a surprise. Regardless, Berghain favorites Ben Klock and Norman Nodge are on deck to reshape Function’s massive “Disaffected” while anonymous Sandwell insider, CH-Signal Laboratories lends their hands to continue the Variance remix project from earlier this year.
Redshape, Paradox Dubs
November 24, 2009 – 11:01 AM
Mysterious German producer Redshape is one of the most impressive examples of a general shift in techno back to classical sounds and styles, and “Paradox Dubs,” released in tandem with his stellar Dance Paradox debut album, will reinforce his reputation as a torchbearer for traditional techno. Even the presentation typifies a purism — and I thought I’d never get to say this — that is welcome against the backdrop of a seemingly infinite slew of paper thinly produced techno. “Paradox Dubs” is available on a limited edition 10″, dished out on a first come, first served basis to customers who buy the vinyl version of the album. Until the next major Redshape project, “Paradox Dubs” also brings a neat, though possibly unwitting sense of closure to his output to date.
Delano Smith, Midnite EP
November 23, 2009 – 11:01 PM
Last time LWE checked in with Delano Smith, he was making probably the only decent record of 2008 that namechecked “Detroit.” Smith’s “Something For Myself,” off the “Sunrise EP,” vocalized what many people might have forgotten about the Motor City: “There’s so many sounds, it’s limitless.” The likes of Reggie Dokes, Theo Parrish, Andrés or “Shake” Shakir have all backed up that claim this year with a bewildering variety of music that has been anything but predictable, and defied any preconceived notions about what the term “Detroit techno” might define. Smith’s own uniformly excellent releases this year, however, have been markedly less avant-garde than say, Theo’s wilder 2009 moments. Smith, having labored under the tutelage of the legendary Ken Collier in his formative years, has a far more classicist bent than some of his peers; nonetheless, “Midnite” may surprise a few people who have more conservative expectations of the D.
Clara Moto, Silently Remixes
November 19, 2009 – 10:01 PM
The original of Clara Moto’s “Silently” was not exactly slept on upon it’s release, but then it didn’t quite receive the praise it was rightfully due. The producer, aided by the vocal talents of Austrian singer Mumi, created an unforgettable techno pop song near the end of last year that weaved bitter and sweet into a filigree of danceable moment. The groove of the backing track would be enough to sway a steadfast, stock-still trainspotter on its own but the vocal exemplifies it further with it’s lilting emotional candour. The original EP offered three further tracks and three different sides of the little known producer, ranging from trippy, emotional house on “Hiding In the Bottom Drawer” to the raw, clipped, poker faced groove of “Sancy Cat” and the achingly beautiful “Hazel,” sounding for all the world like a lost Peter Kersten record. I imagine the remix release a good year after the original serves to remind listeners of what a startling record they missed out on first time around.
Ghostleigh, Continuum
November 19, 2009 – 10:01 AM
One of the top reasons for my continued patronage of record stores is getting to gab with the people behind the counter. Blogs and forums certainly offer a wealth of information about choice new releases, but it’s pretty hard to beat a recommendation from someone whose job involves listening to practically every piece of wax that passes through the door. I can’t think of a more consistently awesome way for getting new sounds on my radar. So on a recent trip to Dope Jams in Brooklyn, when a clerk preferential to classic house and techno slipped the new (and unfamiliar to me) Ghostleigh 12″ into my stack and uttered something to the effect of, “I’m not usually into dubstep, but holy shit, dude!” I certainly took notice.
Hakim Murphy, Black Robots Having Sex
November 18, 2009 – 10:01 PM
Hakim Murphy may be a relatively new artist, but his latest release, “Black Robots Having Sex,” recalls the jack, swing and shuffle of classic Metamorphic Recordings and some of Dan Curtin’s own mid-90’s productions. Of course, it’s not that simple: the title track unfolds to familiar lo-fi, hissing percussion, but soon veers into dark, enveloping chords and chilling strings that draw references from Sean Deason or Carl Craig in brooding Landcruising mode.
Resoe, Magnolie EP
November 17, 2009 – 10:01 PM
Though Resoe is his primary musical outlet, Copenhagen’s Dennis Bøg also makes up one half of Pattern Repeat where, as diligent LWE readers can tell you, he teams up with Echocord head Kenneth Christiansen. Little surprise, then, that the latest Resoe record — for his own Baum Records — deals in the sort of burly, Chain Reaction-inspired dub techno that’s earned labels like Modern Love, Statik Entertainment, and of course Echocord their many dedicated followers. A-side “Cosmic Blast” is all chunky bass, chiseling high-end percussion, and blurred, wet chords. But where a lot of the deeper end of techno seems to be courting a more meditative listening experience, “Cosmic Blast” is stern and propulsive – destined for club use. If, however, you take your washes of delay with a little more “numb,” you’ll find a deep track for late morning in “Dusty Grounds.” It’s makeup is much the same, but more about atmospherics than thunder. Of course, neither track is going to shock you. Naysayers will groan that they’ve heard this before. Myself, I’m content to enjoy this sturdy example of the genre.
Tony Lionni, Treat Me Right
November 17, 2009 – 10:01 AM
For Tony Lionni, 2009 seemed like the year he hit on a formula that elevated his stock to new grounds. Which isn’t to say his productions have been formulaic, but what has stuck out in people’s minds has been a pronounced usage of vocal samples that bring a stunning flow to his tracks. The vocal patterns are used in such a way as to bridge the techno/house divide with a remarkable ease. Call it tech-house, house-y techno or what have you, but at the end of the day this is dance floor blue-plate special material that refuses to fit neatly in either camp.
Oxia, Sun Step EP
November 16, 2009 – 10:01 PM
From time to time I check out Resident Advisor’s monthly Top 50 chart to see how wildly my tastes diverge from those of thousands of DJs who make up its voters. What caught my eye in October’s chart was the unusual sight of one producer, Oxia, holding court from the top two slots with both sides of his “Sun Step EP” for Nick Curly’s 8bit label. The French producer has been in the game since the mid-90s and can claim a handful of singles for Kompakt Extra among many others in his discography, so being a chart topper is not too much a stretch for the versatile, pop-attuned producer. But still I wondered, what would a single have to sound like to so handily grab the big brass stylus?
Marcel Dettmann/Prosumer & Tama Sumo, Phantasma Vol. 3
November 12, 2009 – 10:01 PM
When you’re a label as well respected as Diamonds & Pearls, audiences tend to expect a lot from each new platter. Add boldfaced names like Tobias Freund and Efdemin, the pair responsible for the first of D&P’s Phantasma series, and expectations could’ve burst through the ceiling. Yet after “Vol. 1” struggled to satisfy as anticipated (largely down to a surprisingly lackluster Efdemin cut), the Phantasma series took a dip into relative obscurity. To be sure, this was listeners’ loss as “Vol.2” offered “Choices,” a resplendent Matthew Styles and Dinky collaboration and “Machupichu,” a Pier Bucci joint of nearly equal quality. “Vol. 3,” however, is unlikely to suffer a similar fate with Marcel Dettmann on one side and a Prosumer/Tama Sumo collaboration on the other. As the latter has already evinced in the mix (Panorama Bar 02, to be specific), this is a record many DJs won’t want to leave home without.
D. Quin, At The End of the World
November 12, 2009 – 10:01 AM
All the hippest wax this year has reached techno heads with as little adornment and explanation as feasibly possible. “At The End of the World,” a single-sided oddity from Brooklyn’s Slow To Speak label and unknown producer Dan Quin, offers white label followers something unexpected: a wealth of information. Tucked neatly into the paper sleeve behind the hand-stamped vinyl, a note entitled “Dan Quin Background Analysis” on Old Antarctic Explorers Association letterhead details the spiritual and scientific journey of the producer in question. It could all be a gas, but here goes: while covering the Antarctic seal-mating beat for “a prominent U.S. nature magazine,” this “anti-social Steve Irwin” abandoned human society to become one with his desolate surroundings and ultimately find “his igloo of inspiration.”
Roberto Bosco, Login Exact
November 11, 2009 – 10:01 PM
The label Mowar has described Robert Bosco as a techno producer, but there can be little doubt that “Login Exact” is a house track, or that the Italian talent has spent many long evenings absorbing everything that he can glean from 90’s releases.
BBH: All, Alltag 1-4
November 11, 2009 – 10:01 AM
Wolfgang Voigt has rushed back in the spotlight recently, in part thanks to the release of the beautiful Nah Und Fern box set collecting his four ambient/classical Gas albums, as well as a reissue of the minimal techno inventing/perfecting Studio 1 CD on Profan. Gas and Studio 1 have always been, with Mike Ink, Voigt’s most well known pseudonyms, but one must remember this is a man with 33 monikers other than his own listed on Discogs (counting only his solo projects). It’s with that in mind that I delve in the past to unearth one of Wolfgang’s hidden gems, All’s “Alltag 1-4” on his own Kompakt.
Odd Machine, Phase In
November 10, 2009 – 10:01 AM
It’s always seemed to me that Tobias Freund’s Non Standards Productions have been more about sessions than tracks, and Odd Machine’s “Phase In” is no exception. For the second Odd Machine release, Freund pairs up with his old friend, Uwe Schmidt. Like many of this duo’s past collaborations (from back when Freund’s business cards still read “Pink Elln”), this session is characterized by live improvisation within established technical boundaries. Freund unsurprisingly clings to his Roland TR-808, while Schmidt gets comfy behind a vintage Linn 9000/LM2 drum machine and one of those newfangled, Lite-Brite-looking Yamaha Tenori-On machines. Get “Phase In” spinning and the first thing you’ll hear is the voice of Roger Linn giving a cook’s tour of the drum machine he designed — a telling sign of things to come.
Pattern Repeat, Gauge Tension EP
November 9, 2009 – 10:01 PM
The latest Echocord Colour release sees a meeting of minds between two of Copenhagen’s better established names in techno. Resoe aka Dennis Bøg, head of Baum Records teams up with Echocord boss Kenneth Christiansen to form Pattern Repeat, their sound effortlessly resplendent in the deep and dubby techno their respective labels espouse.
Andy Stott, Night Jewel
November 5, 2009 – 10:01 PM
Modern Love have made a huge impact in 2009; the past few months alone have seen crucial releases by Claro Intelecto, MLZ and Demdike Stare. Now it’s label staple Andy Stott’s turn as he returns with only his second release this year, and it’s one that’s been well worth waiting for. Where Stott’s “Brief Encounter/Drippin” twelve he dropped earlier in the year pandered to his late night deep techno and dubstep sides, the single sided “Night Jewel” finds Stott in a much more lively state of mind, ready for some serious sneaker squeaking.
Leron Carson, The Red Lightbulb Theory
November 5, 2009 – 10:01 AM
Though “Red Lightbulb Theory” has been charted by, among others, Lawrence and Tama Sumo, and comes “highly recommended” at nearly every vinyl outlet, one wonders if anyone besides Theo Parrish, whose Sound Signature label put the record out, and Omar-S, who is credited with engineering and editing work, knows just who the hell Leron Carson is. Dude has the sparsest Discogs entry I’ve ever seen, with only one previous release listed: the B-side of SS012, “The 1987 EP,” which featured his (almost literally) hypnotic “China Trax” along with Parrish’s “Insane Asylum.” Apparently, the five tracks on this two-record set come from the same sessions as ““China Trax” — recorded when Carson was fifteen years old. In Parrish’s own words, this music was “hand made, meaning no sequencing was used for the keys on any of the songs featured, using cassette tape overdubs — a lost science.”
Fabrice Lig & Titonton Duvante, That Connection EP
November 4, 2009 – 10:01 PM
When it comes to artist collaborations, there are some that pique interest and others that positively get mouths watering. For me a Fabrice Lig and Titonton Duvante pairing falls closer to the latter category. Both bring a defined perspective to each project they tackle, usually resulting in something interesting if not down right essential. For Lig, his productions have used Detroit and Chicago as a touchstone for inspiration, focusing on potent melodic themes that guide his techno and house creations into vibrant areas of musicality that can put a collective smile on whole dance floors. His recent Evolutionism album as Soul Designer took that approach in full, yielding salient references to jazz and funk seen through a white European lens. While not as prolific, Duvante’s output has been ripe with genre stretching creativity from day one. His aptly titled “Embryonic” EP melded moody strings with time stretched electro breaks, foreshadowing the broken beat movement by several years. Since then Duvante’s attacked techno from several angles but always with a firm attention to complex rhythm structures and frequently eyebrow-raising explicit song titles.