From Lance C McGannon Sent Sat, Mar 14th 1998, 08:34
From Lance C McGannon Sent Sat, Mar 14th 1998, 08:34
Since list traffic is somewhat low at the moment i thought i'd do a few reviews to give you some reading material. More coming soon... . Chaz Vincent: Dream Zenith 12" (Planet E) Planet E starts strong out strong in 98 with this superb four tracker from this relative newcomer with production help from Carl Craig. The a-side starts out with two versions of the title track Dream Zenith, pt 1 & 2. Part 1 is a bass-heavy atmospheric detroit techno gem is classic 69 style but with a very fresh sound to it. Part 2 is the beatless spaced-out experimental remix. Very cool. The b-side starts with Dream Wave, a funky minimal detroit number with cool builds, sound effects and synth lines throughout the track. The final track, Tom Cat, is another great atmospheric track. Carl Craig, and now Chaz Vincent, never cease to amaze me with the music they make. 9/10 . Starfish Pool/Steve Paton/Ben Sims/Parallel System 12" (Pure Plastic) A four track sampler from Mark Broom's Pure Plastic label from four of their new signings. The a1 is by Koen Lybaert aka Starfish Pool, Lowground and Unit Mobieus. His track is a nice abstract techno cut with a distinct mark broom or ifachy sound to it. The a2 is by Steve Paton aka The 4th Wave. Steve's track is a funky techno jazz piece much in the style of Russ Gabriel or Ian O'Brien. The b1, by Theory label artist Ben Sims, is a dark bassy minimal techno number similar to the current works of Oliver Ho with a twist. The ep closes with a cool and wonderfully complex abstract track from dj g force and praxyd aka Parallel System. This final track is the winner here but all tracks are good. Pure Plastic continues to deliver impressive new sounds.8/10 . Theo Parrish: Took Me All the Way Back 12" (KDJ) A real storming 1-sided 12" here of classic KDJ-styled house based around a looping elderly male voice saying "You Took Me All the Way Back..." The track then builds into a distorted pounding house tracks that fades in and out while the "Way Back" vocal keeps looping. The overall effect is blissful. This has really peaked my interest in Theo Parrish. I'll definitely keep an eye out for him. Anybody have any Theo Parrish recommendations? 9/10 . KDJ: Black Mahogany 12" (KDJ) The a-side is a typically great KDJ 15+ minute journey though ultra-smooth jazz, funk, house, "inciteful" social rants and michael jackson samples. The b-side sounds like a remix of the a-side making it a little more floor-friendly but equally as good. I especially enjoy Kenny's distorted voice in the beginning of this track reading off the street names in detroit. Really shows you where he's coming from. Another KDJ gem. 8/10 . Pole: Tanzen 12" (Kiff sm) Stefan Betke's experience as the engineer at the Basic Channel studio has obviously allowed him to hone his skills and absorb the styles of his employers. On this 12" are three great tracks of crackling, popping dubby electronica much in the same vein as the Burial Mix and Rhythm & Sound records but better. All three tracks are great but p like the b1, Fliegen, best. A must have for fans of Maurizio, Basic Channel, Burial Mix and Rhythm & Sound. And i here that we can expect a lot more stuff from Stefan Betke in the very near future. 9/10 . Tony Dax: Repercussion 12" (Theory) The second release on this impressive label from newcomer Tony Dax. This ep features four tracks including remixes by Stasis, Ben Sims, and Herman Funker III aka Paul Mac. The a1, the original mix, is an uptempo hard houser with a minimal techno feel. Quite unique sounding really. The a2, the stasis remix, gives the cut a dark atmospheric feel. The pounding bassline is still there but Steve adds some crunchy noises and dark synths for a nice effect. The b1 mix, by Ben Sims, adds a clean minimal techno flavor to the track very much like his recent 12" also on Theory. The closing mix, by Paul Mac, gives the track a funky minimal shuffle feel. It's hard to describe but quite nice to listen to. An excellent 2nd release for the Theory label. It's definitely one to watch in 98. Anybody know anything about Tony Dax or Ben Sims. They seem to have come from nowhere to produce some really good techno. 7/10 . The Golden Age: Interpretations part 1 12" (Gadgets) Those in love with the gritty minimal techno sound of profan or basic channel will want to pick this record up. Four track in all including two remixes by maus & stolle and w-moon. The a1 starts with a remix by Metrojuice, I-220, Eukahouse, G label artist W-Moon. This mix combines crisp studio one-like percussion with dubby muted synths and bass. The a2 is an experimental cut by Golden Age with oddly timed percussion and synths. The b1 is a remix by Klang Electrik artists Maus & Stolle. This mix starts with a long beatless synth into then builds into a very bc/cr-ish track complete with washy filters, and dubby muted percussion. If you hear this track you would swear that it was Chain Reaction. The final track is more of a noise bite that sounds like a truck engine rumbling over a distant country music track then it switches to a big band track - unique to say the least. But the three other tracks are quite exceptional and worth giving a listen. What else have The Golden Age and the Gadgets label done? Are we missing out on some hidden classics? 8/10 . Aquarhythms: Reversion 12" (Astralwerks-UK) A reissue of a reissue here with Astralwerks-UK re-releasing two remixes from their Aquarhythms Greetings From Deepest America comp. On this 12" Dubtribe and Morgan Geist both remix Patrick Aherne's Deep in the Feeling. Both mixes are good but the morgan geist reconstruction has always been a favorite. 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