Safe and Sound

February 28, 2008 at 6:26 pm · Filed under Reviews

Justus Köhncke’s two previous full-lengths on Kompakt, Was Ist Musik (2002) and Doppelleben (2005), were slightly frustrating affairs. Both albums were filled with clever pop structures, quality sound design and subtle shifts in mood, but somehow they tended to fall short of pure emotional captivation. Partly of course this was due to Köhncke’s notorious vocals, which are at times just too deadpan and at times just too camp (check his destruction of Jürgen Paape’s seminal ‘So Weit Wie Noch Nie’ for the evidence, but the albums were also occasionally marred by Köhncke’s weakness for soft-focus disco, with kitsch rather than glamorous and decadent results. Safe and Sound combines many of these tendencies, but happily, it’s a much more satisfying listen. So much so you’ve got to wonder what inspired the difference. Perhaps this more muscular sound is down to Köhncke spending a lot of time in the clubs, or perhaps it’s a product of his new studio (located in an old butcher shop). The newfound help of the album’s co-writer/producer Fred Heimermann (certainly on ‘Tilda’, but likely more) might also be a contributing factor. But perhaps there was just something in the air? Those leaves on the Pop Ambient-esque cover, after all, do look suspiciously like marijuana.Köhncke’s disco tendency come to the fore on several tracks, but more confidently than on the previous two albums. With its ‘70s strings, ‘Parage’ is downright funky and would, in an ideal world, play on radios in Cadillac cars with whitewall tyres. ‘Molybdän’ lives up to its elemental name (attn non-scientists: ‘molybdenum’ is a heavy metal) and mimics more disco ball glitter than disco sound itself with sparkling stabs of sound and winding analogue washes. More overtly disco is the brilliant opener ‘Yacht’ which pays strong homage to ‘Slave to the Rhythm’, but then develops its own melodic narrative.Grace Jones isn’t the artist from the past to get name-checked. The first single from the album, ‘Feuerland’, is a cover of Krautrocker Michael Rother’s track from his 1977 LP ‘Flammende Herzen.

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Joris Voorn

February 28, 2008 at 6:15 pm · Filed under Articles, Media

Joris Voorn is a producer, a DJ, a live act and a visual artist. Like many Dutchmen, he makes techno with a nod to Detroit, first pricking up ears in 2004 with the release of the ‘The Lost Memories’ EPs which included the big dancefloor cuts ‘Missing’ and ‘Incident’, the latter of which became one of the most hammered anthems of the year. Since then Voorn has released two full lengths albums, ‘Future History’ and this year’s ‘From a Deep Place’, both of which fused together deep house, old skool Detroit and even some ambient landscapes.Aside from his own bleeps and bloops, Voorn also spins records. Last year his debut mix compilation for Belgian club Fuse headed in a more minimal direction, fusing together Detroit classics from Robert Hood, Carl Craig and Jeff Mills with newer outings from Sleeparchive, Marc Houle and Matthew Dear. Those who’ve heard ‘Fuse’ or one of Voorn’s high energy live shows might be surprised by his RA podcast though: This one is fifty-four minutes of deep house meets ambient with an emphasis on silky synths and even silkier vocals.

Joris Voorn - Resident Advisor Podcast #62 16-07-2007

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Might Is Right

February 18, 2008 at 2:18 pm · Filed under Articles, Media

Matzak (France):Electro-tech dj and producer Matzak joined the Galaktika family remixing Garnica’s “Laderas” on their 12th release. Also a couple of releases under Boxer Sport and Kickboxer and a great album under the Boxer’s label.
Eelectro time!!

Download : Matzak Mix  (February 2008)

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How to PLay

February 17, 2008 at 7:27 pm · Filed under Articles, Media

Iñaqui Marin (Spain): Spanish minimal techno producer Iñaqui Marin from Regular Label. Iñaqui has been a part of the Regular crew for a long time; Iñaqui and Jaume (owner of Regular) have been friends since childhood, and together will form a new live act in late 2005, with Jaume singing on some tracks.He delivered his last release with “19 / Part Two” on Regular.

Download :  Iñaqui Marin Mix(March 2006) 

Tracklist:
1. Maxime Tanguay - They read our Thoughts (Pertin_nce)
2. Delete - Black Berry (Safari)
3. Tim Xavier - Astral Plane (Podium)
4. Soulrack - Modul Age (Sleeparchive remix) (Cray1Labworks) - UNRELEASED
5. Wink - Have to get Back (Vox Version) (Ovum)
6. Guy Gerber - Open the gates (Deetron remix) (Great Stuff)
7. ? - Soundplant 010 A (Soundplant records) - UNRELEASED
8. Robert Hood - Untitled (Cheap records)
9. Arnaud Rebotini - The Wood (Good Life)
10. Modern Heads - D_rection (Dozzy records)
11. Rino Cerrone - Rilis 09 A1 (Rilis)
12. Baird - Indecent Rhythm (Scanner Digital)
13. DFX - Relax your body (the Hacker remix) (Lasergun)
14. Funk D’Void - Jack me off (Soma)
15. ? - Crack & Speed 020 A (Crack & Speed) - UNRELEASED
16. Bam Bam - Where’s your child (Simply recordings)
17. Miro Pajic - She dance (Unreleased) - UNRELEASEd

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Musica Para Estar

February 17, 2008 at 7:02 pm · Filed under Media

Pablo Bolivar, dj and producer started with music very young, being his first radio editions and dj sets in his natural city, focused on electronic music since 1996. After a good impulse to this kind of music in Santander, he moves to Barcelona searching new ideas and shapes, playing at clubs and festivals all around Spain,europe and all the world. In 2003 he won the prize for the most risky proposal at Bilbo-Rock Festival in Bilbao. Definetely he was different.He produces for Regular Label, where in january 2006 released his first LP on his own “Anjanas”, a work full of electronic dance tracks and experimental music.Pablo’s deep (very deep) compilation latest volume “Musica Para Estar Vol.4.”  Download :Music Para Estar Vol.4

or play 

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