Buscar:verse

Detroit's Burden Bros have long been looked upon with immense respect within contemporary dance music. Having been in operation since 1990 with their 430 West imprint they have long encapsulated the forward thinking vibe of Detroit Techno with their output over the last 20+ years, gaining praise from their motor city peers as well as fans worldwide. Having had success in the mainstream and an enduring underground presence they are well versed in the art of music.

This double-pack 'Cymbolic' originally came out in 1995 and found favour with electronic music fans who sought a deeper edge in their music. It's all here, the trademark drum programming, the epic sense that all of the Burden Bros productions have within them. This is dancefloor music, music for DJ's to utilise, tools, but tools with the deepest soul imaginable. Listen to 'Terraforming' or 'The Symbiont' - perfect examples of driving, almost tribal-esque rhythms fused with strings, synth pads and human feeling. 'Cymbolic' is for you if you're a fan of Detroit Techno, but it's also for those who enjoy the deepest electronic sounds. That's not to say it isn't funky though, these tracks will decimate most dance-floors, and therein lies the secret. Essential release here, that classic 430 (mid) West flavour re-mastered, re-pressed and re-released in conjunction with the Burden Brothers / 430 West Records, Detroit USA

The new album of Toulouse based producer Verset Zero : a scary and tortured release with black metal influences. The original tracks are accompanied by three remixes (Blush Response, Violet Poison and Huren).

Wizards of Ooze was a Belgian band that released 3 albums between 1994 - 1999 and toured the whole of Europe. The bands sound is a mixture of different genres, combining elements from primarily soul, fusion and psychedelica. On their second album Bambee! the band took it even further. Press-quote: "What can you expect Take the best fusion-band ever (Chick Corea's Return to Forever), some James Brown funk, synth-fun like Tangerine Dream and even a bit of hardrock, and you're getting close. This is Zappa, the Flemish Zappa: cool, nervous, funny, sad, difficult, ... No record for those who love the traditional verse-chorus-verse, and so probably as uncommercial as it can get."

With a title that suggests great things, making reference to 6 Victoria Crosses awarded to the Lancashire Regiment in World War 1, Mr Fantastic and Coherent (of Journeymen fame and much more) have set themselves a tall order. Before you have even listened to the music, the presentation points to success in this venture, with original artwork by the brilliant Stilts and marbled camouflage coloured vinyl to boot!

100 years after the press reported 'the winning of 6 VCs before breakfast' during the Gallipoli campaign in World War 1, S.O.E. (Special Operations Executive) opt for beats and rhymes rather than guns and bombs, and the resulting record is essential. The initial salvo is fired in 'Ready For Combat' which sees Mr Fantastic combine hard-hitting drums with stabbing guitar chops for Coherent to set the tone. The result is an instant smash which will have you rewinding, as I was, time and time again! From there, the duo, joined by Rola (The Numskullz/Journeymen) and Truck (also a member of The Journeymen), stage a three pronged assault over a haunting beat, spitting verse one after another like a creeping barrage before Mr Fantastic delivers the final victory courtesy of his trademark tight scratches. The concept for this EP is highly original and perfectly apt and on 'Foreign Lands', this is perfectly demonstrated as Coherent weaves tales of carnage that would sound at home on a jungle warfare documentary. 'Lyrical Assassin' once more sees Coherent dropping vocal hand grenades over double bass and electric piano skilfully fused together by his fellow soldier Mr Fantastic. Throughout, the subject matter and music is dark and 'Heavy Artillery' encapsulates this perfectly - Mr Fantastic's thumping, bass-heavy production would have sat perfectly on Show & AG's sophomore LP next to tracks like 'Night Time'. On 'Carcasses', Coherent shows the enemy why he is such a skilled MC, delivering surgical strikes with his tight metaphors and hard-hitting punch lines.

The question, then, given the highly ambitious nature of this project, is whether S.O.E. have won the battle they set out to win. With meticulous artwork, dark brooding beats and Coherent's masterful wordplay, the result is clear. They didn't just win the battle but the whole darn war!

Translation returns with the long-awaited Prints of You Remixes EP to continue the sonic exploration of its namesake, which marked Nuage's transition to house and bass music. Up first, veteran London-based outfit Blu Mar Ten deftly re-imagine the album's opening track Colors at a crisp 170 BPM, applying lush atmospherics, energetic breakbeats, and rolling basslines for an uplifting dancefloor vibe. Next, Nuage delves into experimental/postmodern drum & bass territory on his remix of Waterfalls, crafting an immersive, naturesque soundscape with a subdued percussive shuffle, twinkling keys, and bouncing 808 bass. Fellow Saint Petersburg based artist Bop applies his signature "Microfunk" sound to Overseas, juxtaposing crunchy lo-fi drums and glitchy FX with the uplifting house vocals and soothing synths of its predecessor. The Levels end things with a twist, re-imagining the melancholic Shining into an uplifting slice of future soul music with a textural, arpeggiated synth lead, bubbling 808 drums, and fresh verses from Alia Fresco that seamlessly blend into Veronique J's cello performance.

Delivering us the nineteenth edition of Balans Records is Benny Rodrigues aka ROD, a well-versed and talented producer who has had a strong relationship with the Dutch label and its owner after releasing its fourth release back in 2011.

Opening the EP is '3yr', a mellow track that steadily climbs into a euphoric blend of dub-inspired chords and refined symbols to form an elegant composition. Taking an unexpected turn, 'Float' is reminiscent of a nostalgic voyage Eastbound into the unknown as a traditional flute whistles a techno lullaby.

On the flipside, 'Kloduba's composition cleverly corresponds with '3yr' as its gentle patterns gradually develop to harmonize together. To close out the EP 'Lego' engages the listener as the sounds of watery blips enthusiastically scatter throughout. This four-tracker finds itself a perfect home in the Balans collection, filled with masterly Dutch artists taking a stab at timeless techno tracks.

MISS KITTIN & THE HACKER are the Electro duo of CAROLINE HERVE and MICHEL AMATO from Grenoble, France. The pair met during the early '90s at a rave and soon after bought turntables and began DJing. In 1996, they began writing music heavily influenced by '80s synth and post-punk bands like Fad Gadget, DAF, Liaisons Dangeuresues, and Yazoo, as well as Italo Disco. Bored by the techno scene at the time, they set out out to lighten the serious tone and bring a campy sexiness to the dour musical landscape. Upon hearing their demos DJ Hell signed them to his Munich-based International DJ Gigolo label and released their first 2 EPs in 1998 and 1999. Their debut album First Album was released in 2001. Lost Tracks Vol. 1 contains 4 previously unreleased demos recorded between 1997 and 1999. The duo fused '80s European New Wave/Italo Disco with '90s Detroit Electro acts like Le Car and Dopplereffekt. By utilizing verse-chorus structures, they playfully shook up the loop based hard techno and electro that was popular at the time. Their studio set up at the time was a Korg MS-20, Roland SH-101, TR-606, TR-808, Siel DK80, and Boss DR-660 drum machine. The songs are direct, spontaneous, seemingly improvised in places. Miss Kittin sings about falling in love with an alien, sexy nightlife in Berlin, and explicit S&M leather play, all in her cheekily derisive French accent All songs have been transferred from the original DAT tapes by the band and mastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. The vinyl comes housed in a glossy jacket featuring a black and white photo of the duo taken in 1996. Each LP includes a postcard with liner notes from Miss Kittin and The Hacker designed by Eloise Leigh. As Miss Kittin says of these demos, 'We were naive, innocent, adventurous and we didn't expect anything in return."

Ein wahrer Überraschungserfolg in unserem 2014er Release-Kalender, führte VERMONTs gleichnamiges Debüt-Album die Hörerschaft an eine überraschend andersartige Seite des musikalischen Schaffens der beiden Projektgründer MARCUS WORGULL und DANILO PLESSOW (aka Motor City Drum Ensemble) heran. Ein Langspieler voller abenteuerlustiger Jam-Sessions und schnittiger Synthie-Klanglandschaften, berief sich 'VERMONT' lieber auf kompositorische Neugierde und einen informellen, kollaborativen Geist als auf den laser-ähnlichen Fokus, welcher den Club-Produktionen der beiden Künstler zu eigen ist.

Mit VERMONT - THE PRINS THOMAS VERSIONS betritt nun ein weiterer, hochverehrter Held zeitgenössischer Tanzflure die Bühne: der norwegische Disco-Connaisseur und Bootleg-Experte PRINS THOMAS taucht mit drei brillianten Neubearbeitungen tief in die VERMONT'schen Klangwelten hinab und betont die rhythmischen Elemente der originalen Album-Tracks DYNAMIK, ELEKTRON und MACCHINA - ohne jedoch deren zurückgelehnten Grundgestus zu verraten. Er tut dies unter Zuhilfenahme von luftiger angelegten Varianten klassischer Tanzmusik-Stile - Techno, House, sogar eine Prise Dub Reggae - und lässt diese die Hauptbeinarbeit versehen. Das Ergebnis präsentiert sich dementsprechend so drängend wie nötig und so entspannt wie möglich.