From Lance C McGannon Sent Fri, Feb 20th 1998, 05:51
From Lance C McGannon Sent Fri, Feb 20th 1998, 05:51
I've been horribly lax in my reviewing. I'll try to make up for it in the next few days.... . Morgan Geist: Presents Environ - Into A Separate Space cd (Phono) This release is really a compilation of some of the work Morgan has done on his own Environ label with two previously unreleased tracks thrown in for good measure. Thirteen tracks in all, all walking the fine line between techno, electro, and jazz but still defying categorization. I picked up the original Environ 12"s when they were first released but it's really amazing how fresh these tracks even though many of these tracks were made back in 94-95. A real testament to the consistency of the sound that Morgan's stayed faithful. It's very hard to pick a highlight on this release because every track is exceptional. This is the first MUST HAVE electronica release of this year. 9/10 . Bento Box v/a 12" (Parallel) The San Fran-based Parallel label here with this cool collaborative 12" of abstract techno, electro & lock grooves all done by Jonah Sharp of Spacetime Continuum, Jason Williams of Velocette and K. Burtt. The a-side starts with two great lock grooves of funky percussive techno then moves into a nice melodic techno builder by Sharp & Burtt reminiscent of the first Parallel 12" by Velocette. The b-side starts with a very alien sounding new skool electro cut by Williams & Sharp appropriately called "Unexpected Visitor." The ep finishes off with a funky minimal electro-disco number. A very unique & impressive release. 8/10 . Fifth Level: U Rock the House 12" (Pacific) Future Monument label head Justin David here on the Pacific label with three tracks of his signature deeply lush tech-house. All three tracks are excellent and will appeal to fans of Phono, Pagan, and Future Monument. Justin David and Pacific have yet to disappoint. 8/10 . Gas: Zauberberg 2x12" (Mille Plateaux) The ever prolific Mike Ink returns to his Gas moniker for an amazing album of deep gritty atmospheres, dubby soundscapes and audio ambience. Over the six tracks there is faint muted dubby percussion but all of these tracks are driven more by the spacious sounds & wandering melodies. This lp seems to be much deeper and downtempo oriented than "Gestaltung," the previous gas lp. Fans of basic channel, chain reaction, profan, and maurizio will all feel very familiar with these sounds. A great listening experience. 8/10 . Smyglyssna: Dold 12" (Plug Research) This is the first release for Swedish producer Smyglyssna. He had a some impressive tracks on last year's Plug Research & Development comps and now he returns with this strong 12". Four tracks on this one of deep housey basic channel sounding tracks. This 12" has the warmth and depth of even the best of the bc/cr releases but retains a nice tech-house feel too. A very impressive release. 9/10 . John Tejada: Custom 12" (Generations) John has had noteworthy releases on the A13, Multiplex, Electric Labelland, Plug Research, and Palette labels. Now he's on the R&S sublabel, Generations, with this quality three-tracker of tech-house. But the a1 and b2 have a real funky crisp sound to them with the b2 cut as the stand out. The b1 has a much more filtered sound than the other two but is equally as good. Another quality 12" from Tejada that fans of Ferox, 4th Wave, Svek or Soma will enjoy. 7/10 BTW: Don't forget our Inaudible netcast every Wednesday from 9-11 pm Eastern Standard Time. Hear John C (Bent Crayon) and I spin two hours of the music we speak so highly of... The show will be accessible by visiting http://www.wcsb.org every Wednesday from 9-11 pm EST. The show will be broad- cast in the AudioActive format (which is actually much better than RealAudio). You can download the Audio Active plugin for free at http://www.audioactive.com/player/ During the Inaudible show we will be giving away promo 12"s and cds so yet another reason to tune in. If you need any more info email us at xxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx or xxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx -->-Lance--- p.o. box 450715 westlake, ohio 44145 united states