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Tips #11

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Tips #11

Some of the best music I've been listening to recently

KHIDI - Various Artists 1


Tbilisi club KHIDI launch their own self-titled label with a four track EP featuring Ancient Methods, Phase Fatale, OTHR and Roman. The arresting style of caustic EBM is a welcome blast to blow away any formulaic Techno cobwebs. The OTHR track in particular is a standout, sounding like Smashing Pumpkins if they made Techno!

DJ Python - Mas Amable

Mas Amable, an album of eight tracks from Brian Pineyro, aka New York producer DJ Python, that build and flow hypnotically. A bare, consistent beat connecting the first few tracks eventually mutates with subtle changes in rhythm and poise. The ADMSDP track featuring LA Warman nods to The Orb's Little Fluffy Clouds while mmmm echoes Modeselektor's Hasir.

Norken & Nyquist - Synchronized Minds

In Synchronized Minds Lee Norris (Norken) and Frank Rumpelt have made an extremely tasteful album of upbeat, driving Dub Techno with a House slant. Many standout tracks too, with melody and rhythm working in fine harmony. Two minds clearly in sync.

Sepehr - Shaytoon

Shaytoon is a fresh-sounding album of head-nodding beats, proper melody and a little bit of retro attitude thrown in for good measure. US artist Sepehr Alimagham claims Boards of Canada and post-hardcore bands as influences with Contamination politely nodding to Drexciya. The Acid loops on tracks like Consortium and Hallucination Express may be ubuiquitous but satisfy nonetheless. Neophyte Delight is six minutes of durty Acid Dub, and the thumping bass drum on Magma makes it the highlight. I love the album cover too, a homage to 1970s Iranian album artwork.

Kettel - Dwingeloo Life Extension

Dwingeloo Life Extension: a very strange but equally alluring album, composed of segments, cut-and-pasted together, in a structure not unlike Boards of Canada's album Geogaddi, but plays out in a Lo-Fi / Ambient stylee.

Etapp Kyle - Nolove

Nolove is four tracks of emotional Dub and Techno from the Ukrainian artist, his second EP on Ostgut Ton. On course to be one of my favs of the year.

Healing Force Project - Temporal Pole

Latest release Temporal Pole on Jazz-O-Tech records (remember their mission: to imbue the most cutting edge electronic music with the free-form creative spirit of Jazz) sees prolific Italian musician Antonio Marini, aka Healing Force Project, tackle electronic music from a fresh perspective with two strong tracks that toy with Jazz motifs. The Stndrd remix introduces some regular rhythm to proceedings.

Esau - Ruff Beats Blue

Ruff Beats Blue is another contender for my "favs of the year" list. Esau is Jacob Long, aka Earthen Sea, and his eight track collection of hip-hop-influenced instrumentals is subtle, tasteful and perfectly digestible. Really lovely stuff.

Robert Haigh - Black Sarabande

If, like me, you're always on the lookout for late night listening fodder (for bed or keyboard), look no further than Robert Haigh's delightful Black Sarabande. His piano playing may be the prime focus but his vast experience in producing Ambient electronic music ensures the result is a well-balanced treat.

Gary Holldman - Notes Of Peat

It's the title track of this two-track EP from the humourously monikered Gary Holdmann that I particularly like. Released by Polish label International Day Off, it builds like a hulking monster emerging from the shadows, gaining strength and confidence as it goes before the vocal snippet towards the end crossfoots us with a streak of humanity. Quality artwork too.

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