Still Life by Body Clocks

•April 13, 2016 • Leave a Comment

Gasworks

Shimmering electronic reverbs dominate Still Life from Body Clocks. A track that positively embraces the word hazy. It resolutely refuses to come into focus. There’s a shoegaze air to it all with the guitars and effects, accompanied by some happily lazy electronica. Trippy stuff for indie kids and electronica freaks alike.

Free download from www.bodyclocksmusic.com

Blurb: Bristol based duo Body Clocks have revealed their debut single “Still Life”, an otherworldly cut with high pitched shimmering synths and haphazard, spacious guitar lines sitting on top of a fluid bassline and rustic percussion.

The band are a captivating live duo, bringing acoustic instrumentation and performance into an otherwise electronic environment. Their unique sound is created through layering and looping beats with ambient soundscapes, double bass and guitar.

Their influences range from experimental classical music, to world music artists such as Tinariwen as well as heavier Techno and House. Elements from all of these genres can be heard in the finished result.

A grumpy expression of dissatisfaction

•April 12, 2016 • Leave a Comment

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A grumpy expression of dissatisfaction is the definition of “harrumph”. A wonderfully onomatopoeic word originating from the 30s and the name for a new US artist. His debut single I’m A Violin is out now. It’s a curiously beguiling cross between deep house, some kind of arty approach to dance and electronica. Oh, and it does have a violin.

Life Coach Kitteh says breathe

•April 11, 2016 • Leave a Comment

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Life coach kitteh says:
“Life can only be lived once, so when you breathe, breathe deeply. When you eat, taste every bite. And when you push someone downstairs, really really push.”

And to accompany, here’s a free download from a couple of years back that’s available again. Ritual’s Club Zanzibar. I said “Rituel is Christophe Monier (The Micronauts) and Thomas Regnault (Dew Town Mayor). This second EP from the pair – Deux – comes a year after we had their first one here, inevitably called Un. The instrumental version of Club Zanzibar is one for discerning dancefloors. It has a slow bleepy, air horn start before bringing in a nu-disco bass line. But the bass is pitched lower than usual, giving it a dark, slightly sleazy air. This track has alll sorts of nods to early tribal house and bounces along to an ecstatic climax. Great stuff.”

Sunday innit

•April 10, 2016 • Leave a Comment

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A track whose title matches the day of the week. How original. Actually, it’s a response to the weather. I’d like some sun and warmth. But I’ve got chill and rain. Redondo & Boris Way’s track on Spinnin’ Deep is a chilled summer track. And that’s just perfect. Some have suggested it needs a vocal to complete it. I disagree. The use of the guitar line works just fine instead. There’s nothing disagreeable about this track. It slips along just beautifully.

Redondo & Boris Way – Sunday is out now! Available here: btprt.dj/1RzFIZQ

Blurb: The track follows a tremendous 2015 for Dutch DJ/productional duo Redondo. Releasing some instant classics with Ferreck Dawn collab ‘Something Else’ and hit record ‘Every Single Piece’, made with Bolier and US indie band She Keeps Bees, the guys enjoyed a massive summer, playing festivals like Tomorrowland, Creamfields and Extrema, receiving broad recognition for their unique take on current deep/tech house.

After their late 2015 collab with CamelPhat (the beautiful single ‘Paths’), the duo enhanced its deep approach to house music earlier this year with the Nora En Pure co-production ‘I Got To Do’, which received worldwide critical acclaim.

Now, continuing their collab series, the Dutchmen have teamed up with rising French artist Boris Way (known for last year’s club hits ‘Moments’ and ‘Unity’) for the rhythmic tune ‘Sunday’. It’s a first for both parties, but definitely one that turned into an immediate success, says Redondo’s Freek Geuze:

“Boris got in touch with us through our Facebook page and he showed some absolutely powerful tunes. After that we shared our contacts and started working on a summery tune. About the title, we finished the track on a sunny winter sunday so there ya go.”

Seasons In Hell

•April 9, 2016 • 4 Comments

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Seasons in Hell is from Antoni Maiovvi on the excellent Castles in Space records. It’s not terribly new, dating from last November, but it is a rather fine piece of electronica. And it has the added bonus of coming as “limited edition double 7″ single in a gatefold sleeve, pressed on British Summer/Russian Winter themed coloured wax.”

British Summer is both pastoral in its yearning and quite primitive in its approach. There are bits of early Cabaret Voltaire, some early 80s Bill Nelson and Linn drums. It is a beautiful track. Missing is a more ominous piece, slower in pace and takes slightly too long to unfold. Russian Winter is sadly short of Balalaikas or a sense of Marching Across Red Square. But it does have a frosty appeal and a nihilistic sense. The final track is Thalassa. This is unsettlingly, almost watery, off kilter ambient, which is probably right for a track named after a sea goddess.

ThisIsMyHomeNow

•April 8, 2016 • Leave a Comment

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London in my case, Portland OR in Colin Cameron Allrich’s case. ThisIsMyHomeNow is the title of a new freebie from Colin in his Slighter guise. You should get this track. It’s ambient but with suggestions of glitch, drum and bass and IDM. Think early Aphex, Autechre or Squarepusher. It’s both dreamy and pushy.

He says “Slighter spent a weekend locked up in the studio and recorded this.  Available as a free download. Donations are not required but always appreciated.”

Orlando’s finest returns: Q Burns Abstract Message – QBAM RMX1

•April 7, 2016 • Leave a Comment

Boba wood

A collection of five previously unreleased remixes by Orlando’s finest.

First up, the reworked Church Williams ‘Touch The Sun’ is a wonderfully seductive piece from the get go. A rich, full-bodied bass is overlaid with penetrating beats, deft synths and revolving vocals producing an all round, thoroughly enjoyable funkiness. And more gratifying grooviness to be had with ‘The Lobster,’ run through with lazy handclaps, nimble-fingered, kalimba-style percussion and rotating, acid-infused synths. There’s a fat and seriously meaty bass in ‘Absence,’ all grinding and granulating over a rigid beat with snatched impenetrable vocals and quirky keyboards, more indie than dance and none the worse for it.

‘Damascus’ is an hypnotic, offbeat, tech-house thrill offering squeaking, anxious synths and unchanging beats, a sort of parade ground, militaristic rhythm for the dance-floor, you might say. More captivating beats abound with the deep house, dub noise bounce of ‘Trauma,’ presenting a galloping tempo backed by echoing synths and sprightly percussion. Good stuff, all round.

Review by D

 
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