Devoid of the offbeat catchiness of previous editions, Frozen Border 06 is largely a package of tools with its own appeal that’s easier to appreciate with repeated spins.
steve kerr
LWE Podcast 58: Kettenkarussell
September 13, 2010 – 12:01 AM
In anticipation of their appearance at London’s Whitechapel Gallery on September 17th as part of the Alpha-Ville festival, Kettenkarussell sent us a recording of their set at this year’s Fusion festival, as well as some insight into the project and its priorities.
DJ Nate, Da Trak Genious
September 7, 2010 – 10:01 AM
One of Chicago’s most idiosyncratic footwork producers is DJ Nate, a highly prolific producer now involved in rap and R&B projects whose Da Trak Genious compiles much of his work from the last few years.
Unknown, Oops
August 31, 2010 – 9:01 AM
The Oops 12″ on Caravan pairs sides that, while basically tools — blank and ambiguous enough to fit into a variety of sets — nevertheless display a lot of character.
Kassem Mosse/Lowtec, Workshop EP
August 17, 2010 – 10:01 AM
For their long awaited seventh release, Laid commissioned a split single from Workshop luminaries Kassem Mosse and Lowtec.
Stingray313, Sphere of Influence/Sentiment
July 28, 2010 – 10:01 PM
The elements at play are fairly minimal, but Stingray313’s Sphere of Influence/Sentiment encapsulates why people incessantly repeat “Detroit” like a mantra.
George FitzGerald, The Let Down/Weakness
July 20, 2010 – 10:01 PM
It was inevitable that Joy Orbison’s enormous success would spawn a flurry of sound-alikes, and George FitzGerald’s Hotflush debut complements projects like Pariah and Sepalcure in recalling the English producer’s melodramatic, vocal-infused tracks.
Nuel, Aquaplano ltd 01
June 30, 2010 – 10:01 PM
On the first Aquaplano release without label co-owner Donato Dozzy as a collaborator, Italian producer Nuel delivers five tracks that ably complement the pair’s creations.
Pearson Sound, Down With You/Higher
June 23, 2010 – 10:01 PM
David Kennedy’s first Pearson Sound transmission of 2010, the inaugural release for Darkestral Galaxicos, could potentially be the work of a different artist, containing two of his fastest, most rigid tracks to date.
LWE Reviews MUTEK 2010
June 23, 2010 – 10:01 AM
After a few days’ rest, LWE contributor Steve Kerr submits his review of MUTEK 2010.
Actress, Splazsh
June 8, 2010 – 10:01 AM
The second album by Actress, Splazsh, is stylistically diverse, its shapeshifting unified by his predilection for clipped vocal stabs and subtle, droning atmospherics.
James T. Cotton, On Time
May 26, 2010 – 10:01 PM
James T. Cotton’s On Time, his latest EP for Spectral Sound, succeeds because he realizes where to draw the line between reverence and progression.
XXXY/Ike Release, Infra12002
May 17, 2010 – 10:01 PM
Amid the hullabaloo about new-garage, the Infrasonics label has quietly been cultivating a uniquely minimalist take on swung-drum bass music, distilling the sound to its bare essence. Infra12002, a 12″ split between XXXY and Ike Release, furthers this ideal.
Chicago Skyway, Wolfgang Hair EP
May 13, 2010 – 10:01 PM
On Wolfgang Hair, Chicago Skyway incorporates a bevy of classic signifiers, though rather than spacing them out from track to track (i.e. one track acid, another deep), he tends to stack them atop one another.
Herman, Prototype
May 10, 2010 – 10:01 PM
Stuart Li, best known for his Basic Soul Unit project, continues his departure from more linear house music on his first release under the Herman alias for Fine Art Recordings.
Mount Kimbie, Remixes Pt. 2
May 6, 2010 – 10:01 AM
Clearly cognizant of Mount Kimbie’s cross-border appeal to techno/house heads, Hotflush wisely spends the second remix EP on the 4×4 axis with mixes from head honcho, Paul Rose, and Panorama Bar residents Prosumer and Tama Sumo.
Mount Kimbie, Remixes Pt. 1
April 27, 2010 – 10:01 AM
As befits two records firmly entrenched in the avant garde, the contributions to these two follow-up remix EPs are pure class, with some of Mount Kimbie’s closest contemporaries on the first and a few Berlin mainstays on the second.
F, Energy Distortion
April 22, 2010 – 10:01 AM
French producer F (born Florent Aupetit) works in the broadly defined dubstep-techno crossover zone inhabited by artists like Dave Huismans (2562 and A Made Up Sound), Paul Rose (Scuba and SCB), Martyn and René Pawlowitz (Shed, STP, and EQD). Energy Distortion, his debut full-length for 7even Recordings, bundles three prior EPs (Energy Distortion Parts 1-3) with several bonus tracks, and while this somewhat characterizes it as a compilation there’s a crystalline coherence throughout. There are no superfluous forays into new genres, nor are there moments that depict a relatively young producer still finding his footing. Each track tightly rolls, containing the sort of intensity that increases tenfold when played loudly. Brimming with confidence, it’s the product of an artist with a refined vision and an instinct for crowd-moving structures.
Erik XVI, Stern-Gerlachs Versioner
April 12, 2010 – 10:01 PM
Erik XVI’s Stern-Gerlachs Versioner, released in January on Highpoint Lowlife, compiles seven remixes of tracks from last year’s Stern-Gerlachs Försök EP. The collection is a veritable stylistic melting pot; the dystopian aura of the originals pervades but is filtered through everything from Dissident-style arpeggiator disco to dark garage. This sort of variety is a potential weakness: in pre-download days you might end up paying full price for a single quality track in a sea of duds. Luckily, the curatorial work here is impeccable, rewarding the versatile modern DJ with its diversity.