Tuesday, August 30, 2022

Clementz - Kretsløp

Suntrip Records: 2020

Goa was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. Some moved onto harder sounds with psy trance, others emerged with cross-over friendly, full-on vibes. A few brought back melodic elements with prog-psy, even if it meant slowing the pace down a dozen BPM. For all intents though, the original genre as exported from the shores of India had had its day in the acid-drenched sun, electronic music's constant desire for evolution relegating it to the dustbin of history. You will therefore permit me to reiterate emphatically, that Goa was as dead as a door-nail.

But like any comic book character not named Uncle Ben or Thomas and Martha Wayne, no genre stays dead. Even if a potential audience has dwindled to bupkis, at least that audience exists. Such must have been the logic of Suntrip Records, a little Belgian print eager to resurrect goa trance even if the scene had long moved on. They even scored an early 'hit' in Khetzal's Corolle, proving interest was there for vintage goa, should anyone take a chance on it. Just dress it up in some new hotness tag for all to see, something cutting edge and hip to the kids. Got it! Neo-Goa!

Despite this new-old genre never taking off in any significant way, it persisted in the periphery of the psy scene, Suntrip Records continuously plugging along to this day. Which leads us to one of the label's more recent offerings in Clementz' Kretsløp, an album I picked up because I wanted something new out of PsyShop, and this one had the blueist cover art available.

One Hans Henrik Clementz to the Norwegian database, the chap's been making music on Soundcloud for many years now, having tunes appear on a number of compilations like The 50th Parallel, 303 Syndroms, Colors Of Goa V.3, Goa Trance Revolution 2 (Retrofuturism), and Dimensional Gateway 4 (Veil Of The Moon). His hustle finally paid off, landing a debut album with Suntrip Records consolidating a bunch of his tracks, bringing his brand of goa to more ears than ever. Well, as far as the Suntrip faithful at least.

And if you're still doubting that anyone modern could possibly sound properly retro, opening track Æ-Re-Stu immediately drops you back to the '90s. Those unmistakable Nord Lead synths powering forward, a dooc-dooc bass kick and acid squelches in support... oh man, it's 1997 again, and I've just picked up Distance To Goa 5! I don't know whether Clementz is using authentic gear or really good emulators, but you can easily imagine hearing this stuff alongside classic Prana and Astral Projection. Some tracks stick to proper goa (Inner Core, Distorted Angel, Outside This World), others go heavier on the psychedelic side of things (Big Rip, Easter Hymn, Voices Of Helium), but all remain unwavering in their dedication to sounding exactly like the days of yore'. Whether this is 'dope' or 'bunk' to you depends entirely on your feelings about that era of psy trance.

Saturday, August 27, 2022

Speedy J - Krekc

NovaMute: 2001/2021

Aww yeah, finally returning to Loudboxer-era Speedy J. Enough with the early forays into Detroit techno, or the critically heralded indulgences into 'intelligent dance', let's get back to the years when Mr. Paap stopped giving a fuck and simply ripped shit up. On the dancefloor, I mean. And what better track to get us back to the relentless bangin' techno than the single that not only led into Loudboxer, but kicked off the album's pummelling second half, Krekc.

What else needs to be said about it? It's straight-forward bass kicks and rumbling bassline for a solid ninety seconds, hi-hats, snares, and other assorted percussion building in layers, occasionally ebbing so other propulsive noises squall in the background. It's positively unyielding, letting the energy climax out with barely a sputter at the end for the quick mix-out. It's a track intended for 4am techno, played at the peak of a set. No, seriously, even in the year 2001, there weren't many tunes that went as hard as this one did. Or at least, not released by as Very Important person in the world of techno as Speedy J was at the time.

I do still wonder how folks took this turn of events. I first heard Loudboxer when it was new, and it was certainly something of a shock, having only been familiar with Jochem's G-Spot era of music making. I missed out on the two albums between, to say nothing of any singles floating about, but even stuff like Electric Deluxe couldn't have prepared folks for just how hard Krekc would go. Like many genres out in clubland though, bangin' techno was seeing something of an arms race in the early '00s, where the need to go bigger and bolder was necessary to remain king of the heap. Then everyone got old, knees weary, ketamine the preferred drug of choice, and we all know what happened to techno after that.

Anyhow, another track on this single that appeared on Loudboxer is Krikc, if only partially. This was the tune that was featured as a live snippet, and quite frankly cemented the album as the propah' warehouse experience it was being sold as. Nothing like a little crowd whooping and cheering to sell that 'in the moment' vibe, amirite? This track is even more bonkers than Krekc, basically all looping percussion and flange effects, with heavy emphasis on those mid-range snares as the bass drum thrums along. By comparison, third track Krakc is almost quaint, much slower in tempo, and rather deliberate in how it progresses in layering it's various loops. Even if it's at a pace more typical of traditional minimal techno, there's still plenty of crunchy sounds and flange effects in making this a worthy companion piece to the high-octane Krekc and Krikc.

So there you have it: Krekc, Krikc, Krakc, three tunes of- Wait a moment... are the titles of these tracks a Dutch play on Rice Krispies onomatopoeia...?

Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Solipsism - Kismet

Carpe Sonum Records: 2018

So now Solipsism. Ever since I took a dive into the extended Lee Norris Ambientverse, this is a name that's floated about my periphery. Like, it's hard not to notice an alias that reminds me of some of the more tedious discussions I engaged in during university philosophy courses. Not to mention simply being a word that would leave one drenched should it be uttered by Sylvester The Cat.

Seriously though, the Craig Murphy project has existed for nearly two decades now, spending much of the '00s releasing several digital-only items on labels like Herb Recordings and Ambidextrous Records (no relation to the artist Ambidextrous). He finally landed a CD roll-out debuting on Mr. Norris' ...txt print, and the two went on to collaborate on a few more albums, sometimes as their separate aliases (Nacht Plank in Lee's case), or as a totally unique project called Ashtoreth's Gate. Hmm, name sounds dark ambientish, that one. May need to investigate further.

Anyhow, Solipsism is a project that I probably would check out proper-like at some point, should the right record entice me further. And leave it to Carpe Sonum Records to publish that CD, Kismet luring me in with yet another striking bit of geometric architecture. The blue-hued cover art didn't hurt either. As for how Mr. Murphy got his stab at a Carpe Sonum outing at all, well hey, it's right there in the title, is it not? Also, Kismet isn't actually an album, but a compilation of several previous works released under the Solipsism banner, some reaching as far back as 2008. I admit I didn't know this going in, but hey, makes for a handy sampler of his music now, and Carpe Sonum has often proven capable of weaving an artist's back catalogue into their own flowing LPs.

Even though I'm fairly certain Solipsism is an ambient artist, I wasn't sure what brand of ambient I might be in for. Considering he's worked with Nacht Plank, I was expecting a few dalliances into the more experimental side of the genre, and sure enough, a few tracks go there. Beachcomber starts out with some nice, subtle tone, but gets rather distorted towards the end. It's not nearly as annoying as The Space Between Atoms though, which doesn't waste much time before piercing your ears with quite grating noise between musique concrete transistor twerps. A shame, because the rest of that track does feature some nice, soothing passages of opulent synth drone.

Those are the only two egregious examples though, and are nicely spaced apart so it doesn't detract from Kismet's whole. Rather, the album-compilation opens with a nice, fuzzy bit of piano 'n' synth ambient in Toking Elders In Avalanche, gives us a taste of the mysterious warble-reverb in Maighdean na Tuinne, slows the pace down to contemplative reflection with Stargazer and Planes Of Existence (with extra sub-bass drone!), while Forgotten and Escape Pod takes us out in ambient grace. Yep, I'd say that covers about everything in Solipsism's oeuvre.

Monday, August 22, 2022

Jet Chamber - Jet Chamber II

Fax +49-69/450464: 1996

Where to even begin with Uwe Schmidt? He gained some minor fame after making an album of Latin-fused electro-pop covers of Kraftwerk songs, but the man had a solid decade of music making behind him before that. Those more in the techno-know were undoubtedly familiar with Atom Heart, if for no other reason than it was the alias Uwe most commonly goes with for his multitudes of projects and collaborations. And though he jumped about many labels throughout the '90s, he often came back to Fax+ for an album or three, even teaming up with Pete Namlook on occasion. In fact, some of the print's earliest records were a pairing of these two, cranking out bangin' Belgian techno as Subsquence and Synthadelic. Um, no one really talks about these anymore. That Jet Chamber project though, that's the stuff!

Five albums were released under this banner, remarkably unique from one another, misters Schmidt and Kuhlmann clearly unafraid in exploring different sounds with each outing. Yeah, you could say that about a lot of their works, but even with the numerous musicians Namlook paired up with, there always was a bit of consistency in how each one sounded. Not so with Jet Chamber. Say you liked the vintage ambient techno of the first album, but are you prepared for the pure jazz dalliance of the fourth record? Or rather preferred the dubbier, trip-hoppier vibes of the third LP, but not so much the micro-beats of the fifth? Which to choose, which to choose?

Clearly, I went with Jet Chamber II, and not just because it was the one I saw available for a reasonable penny from a Discogs seller. No, I've often noticed it crop up in a fair number of 'Essential Fax+ Albums' lists, so figured it a solid get regardless. And right from the jump in Inner Rotation, you can hear you're in for something outside the Fax+ norm. Well, at least what I'm used to hearing from this label, but then I haven't deep-dove into the entire catalogue – few ever have.

Anyhow, Inner Rotation drops us right into Atom™'s brand of electro-IDM beatcraft, leading us along for a good five minutes before Namlook's vintage space-synths join the fray. It's honestly rather typical of Pete's many pairings, his partner laying out their distinct approach to rhythms while he handles the melodic portions. What makes Inner Rotation stand out so much more is just how fluid it is, forever morphing and ever changing even at a lengthy eighteen minutes. Like liquid chrome constantly burbling, bleeping and blooping.

It's also the requisite 'clubby' track of the three, followed upon by the requisite 'pure ambient' outing of minimalist Calm Box. Can't be a classic Fax+ album without one of those, nor a half-hour long jam session, closer Outer Rotation serving as such. It mostly consolidates the first two tracks' ideas, which is fine if you want to hear more of those electro-IDM beats, but I prefer the 'concise' songcraft of Inner Rotation.

Friday, August 19, 2022

FSOL - ISDN

Virgin: 1995

You'd think I'd have gotten this in my initial gathering of FSOL albums, a necessary companion to Lifeforms and Dead Cities. A few things kept me from doing so though, a primary factor being I wasn't sure this was even an album. Compared to Ziggy Riphead's striking, CGI artwork from this period in Future Sound Of London's timeline, ISDN is flat, drab, and nondescript. Which hey, is an artistic statement in of itself, plus you'd find plenty weirdo visual-scapes within the booklet if you really needed them.

Still, this record had something of a rep, in that even for a FSOL LP, ISDN was way out there. Wherein Brian and Garry, uninhibited by such limitations as 'performance' and 'audience expectation', could transmit their muses directly into your living rooms. Oh honeys, you hadn't heard anything yet. Just wait until you get a load of this thing called 'live streaming'!

That all said, an appreciation of Brain and Garry's numerous Environment outings finally got me to properly grab ISDN. Okay, reconnecting with a few tunes like Slider, Amoeba and A Study Of Six Guitars didn't hurt in nudging me either. Whether this was some over-indulgent live show broadcast over a fledgling internet, or an assemblage of studio wankery, it was hard to deny at least a handful of dope-ass tunes emerged from these sessions. Surely there were more than what I plucked out of ancient P2P programs.

Confounding the “is this a live album or not?” vibe of ISDN is opener Just A Fucking Idiot, sampling live audio from a Joy Division/New Order. From there, the track's pure future-shock territory, so *deep breath* The Far Out Son Of Lung And The Ramblings Of A Madman grounds things with freeform jazz-funk groovy goodness. An appropriately bit of bridging ambience in Appendage later, and we're into the highlights off ISDN: Slider and Smokin Japanese Babe. Yeah, you could argue they're FSOL jumping on some trendy genres (big beat and trip-hop, respectively), but they're still done in that nifty, warped, post-apocalyptic, psychedelic, sampleholic way only FSOL were doing at the time.

After that though, ISDN goes wa-a-a-yy deep into sound collages and music making for its own sake. For sure some moments stick out – the electro-chill of You're Creeping Me Out, the spritely melodies in Eyes Pop – Skin Explodes – Everybody Dead - but it's not until eleventh track Egypt that things steer in some sort of direction again. As for Egypt, it's got electro rhythms, chants, crickets, woodwinds... y'know, vintage Lifeforms-era FSOL.

Kai and Amoeba feel like two halves of a whole, what with their muted rhythm sections, though I prefer Amoeba's sputtering voice pads over Kai's industrial drone-throb. Six Guitars remains pure bliss, and Snake Hips takes us out on total psychedelic rock weirdness. An Amorphous one calls from beyond.

So yeah, ISDN does have some of FSOL's best moments. It's just a shame they mostly come at the bookends of the album rather than as a consistent whole.

Sunday, August 14, 2022

Voyage - Invader

Tech Itch Recordings: 2019

Absolutely I was gonna' grab me Voyage's follow-up to Genesis. That album introduced me to the extended roster of Technical Itch's own Tech Itch Recordings, and what an intro it was. Hard-hitting Amen break action right out the gate, it confirmed that darkstep from the days of yore was alive and well, and several artists I further checked out yielded many more audio rewards. In the process though, returning to Voyage's debut had me feeling it comparatively one-note and singular, almost too reverent of that late '90s sound. Which is fine, if that's what you're going for. Still, I hoped Voyage (whomever he may be, for he still hasn't provided a name online) would show some evolution whenever his sophomore effort dropped.

Well, he doesn't come out quite so hard. Invader opens up with Clarion, a more moody, atmospheric tech-step cut in the classic Grooverider vein – there's even some jazzy trumpets, though as heard from spa-a-a-a-ace. Sycophant gets back to the Amen-step business though, about as rough and tumble as anything you've heard from this genre. Some of those backing strings though, they seem awful familiar. Maybe it's just my imagination.

Anyhow, Voyage mostly sticks to tech-step's domain for the bulk of Invader. For sure it's about as aggro as this genre can ever get, with bass tones roaring like intergalactic cruiser engines while drums hit with the ferocity of a [sci-fi feral beast]. Really, the drums and bass of this d'n'b feel more in service of the general ominous mood Voyage maintains throughout the album. A few tracks stray from that, like the sparse Overdose and ultra-minimalist Electromagnetic (almost all bass and dubsteppy crackles). Some angelic voices serenade us in Serenade, Soldier gets super-tech its choice of sounds and broken beats, while Crash Site brings in some shuffly action to the Amen break. Yet again though, there's some sounds in this tune that has me reminded of an album from the distant past. Not so much a shared synth patch or whatnot, no, more specific than that.

And then it struck me when the track Diagnostics hit. You might recognize that name as the title of Technical Itch's debut album. Heck, Voyage not only apes that, but a whole bunch of sounds from the album too, primarily from that album's opener Focused, right down to the string refrains (one of the few 'melodic' moments from Tech Itch's record). Clearly this is an homage, Voyage's Diagnostics keeping things on a smooth cruise compared to Tech Itch's original. Is this track ever too on the nose for me though. Like, you could easily convince me this was just some long-lost alternate version of Focused Mark Caro unearthed.

Back to Invader, it's another solid album from Voyage, but the same issue as I had with Genesis does crop up: it's rather singular in execution. The whiplash of hearing Diagnostics also unfortunately leaves the back-end a bit of a drag, my brain forever anticipating the Tech Itch classic instead.

Saturday, August 13, 2022

Dance With The Dead - Into The Abyss

self release: 2014

So I got all of Dance With The Dead, the entire Bandcamp catalogue, all ten main releases. Why would I go and do something like that? I've only heard one track of theirs, and it's a remix at that. Yeah, but it's also one of the most awesome tracks I've ever heard, their go with Gost's Reign In Hell an all-timer in getting me absolutely fuckin' hype. If the rest of their catalogue is even a fraction as dope, then a bounty of kick-ass synth-metal must exist.

Where to start though? I could sift through each album before dropping some coin, but y'all know I prefer the exhilarating reactions of unheard purchases. All the cover art is retro fun, like browsing the Horror section of your local VHS rental shop, so hard to decide just on those merits. Wait a minute, everything is only two dollars more than buying a single album? Heck, may as well go with that option. Might help break up my ongoing coverage of the entire catalogues of Lucette Bourdin and Speedy J.

And thus, by Alphabetical Decree (re: what's currently slotted in the ongoing queue), we're starting this deep dive into Dance With The Dead with Into The Abyss. It's... not the most typical of their releases, that's for sure. Like, their iconography is very much in a George A. Romero vein, and this cover art is anything but. I guess it being one of their earliest EPs – in fact, their second release overall, if the Bandcamp dates are believed – the duo had yet to establish much of a proper identity. If finding influence from something a little more Cameron than Carpenter was where their heads were at, so be it.

After an intro of sonar pings and ominous tones letting us know that, yes, we are indeed descending into the depths of the bounding main, Battle holds little back in delivering the epic synthwave stylee: epic build, choir pads, stomping rhythms, squealing vintage synths, and that triumphant guitar action from Tony Kim. Perhaps not as tear-out as you'd expect from a track titled Battle, but gotta' save a little of that for later in.

From there, we get Moon Runner, a track that- wait, “Moon” Runner? I thought we were going into dark, oceanic domains. What's a tune that would sound better fitted in a Dynatron collection doing here? Well, it's a cool tune regardless, if rather typical of mid-'10s synthwave. Let's get back to that propah' Dance With The Dead synth-n-metal action on Mask (and hey, sonar pings again – way to tie things back to the EPs theme, guys!) and Odyssey (ooh, that bassline's almost as good as the on on Reign In Hell). By contrast, Suede sounds more like it should be the opening credits theme to a classic arcade game, while No Survivors wants to be the closing credits to a Cameron film, orchestral swells and all. Mmm, stick to the shredding, mates. (and they would too)

Thursday, August 11, 2022

Speedy J - Intercontinental

Plus 8 Records: 1990/2021

The first ever Speedy J release, and boy does it show. Actually, that's unfair, some of the tunes on this four track EP already offering glimmers and hints of where Mr. Paap's career would lead. This being a 1990 record though, there are certain, inescapable sonic markers that have a young producer still playing by the rules as laid out by his contemporaries, whether they be British or Detroitish.

What's weird for me is to even think there being a 'ground zero' for Speedy J records in the first place. Like, obviously he had to start somewhere, but as I only became aware of him during his G-Spot era, his earlier stuff seemed but a mystery. Even when I finally 'caught up' to his debut album Ginger, it didn't feel like I was getting the whole Phase 1 Speedy J story. And sure enough, there were even older records than his Artificial Intelligence era, breaking out with the techno freshmen making their mark on a fledgling Plus 8 Records. Yet still, my brain is convinced there must be something even older than Intercontinental. Some unreleased demo tapes, maybe, or a secret, shameful alias of generic freestyle funk Jochem refuses to acknowledge. There has to be something out there!

The Intercontinental EP – indeed, Speedy J's entire career! - kicks off with Wicked Saw. And yep, that synth line sure sounds like a saw, about as jagged as those sound waves could get in ye' olde year nineteen ninety-aught. Despite some more ominous segments, I can't help but draw comparisons to Adamski's N-R-G, released late the previous year. Yeah, that track is a bit silly and free-flowing, about as you'd expect of UK acid house, whereas Speedy J's Wicked Saw plays things mostly straight and ravey. Just something about those rhythms and funky fills tethers it to Adamski in my mind. Like I said, sonic markers and such. Minimal is minimal techno before minimal techno was really a thing, so here it just sounds like monotonous techno. Or tool techno, if you're being generous. Pass.

Now Journey, that's a Detroit space jam if I ever heard one. Those stuttery synths though, there's something almost... trancey about them. Never mind, here comes some classsy organ licks, breakbeat fills, and bleepy goodness. Why, this tune could even have appeared on early Warp Records, if it wasn't already on a Detroit label. Final track Spectrum gets deeper into bleep territory, and almost, dare I say, “intelligent” take on techno.

So a promising start to a youngling J. He definitely had an early ear for dancefloor effectiveness but some care and thought put into arrangements too. Considering this was still an era when few had many sounds at their disposal, the Speedy one shows how much could be done even with the standard tools of the techno trade. It'd still be a couple years before Jochem would truly stretch though, instead a brief flirtation into ravey anthems just around the corner.

Monday, August 8, 2022

Aes Dana - Inks

Ultimae Records: 2019

I don't want to claim Ultimae Records has 'fallen off', as some do, because that's not really the case. Yeah, their musical manifesto has morphed into something quite different from its inception, but that doesn't mean their quality standards have slipped. They've simply chosen to explore different sonic avenues, and whether you're up for joining them in this journey likely comes down to personal taste. And for myself, I can't say I've always been for it. Whereas Ultimae of old was 'must buy' with every release, I've skipped on a few in more recent years, not even worried some may slip into over-inflated collector's market territory.

And truth be told, Aes Dana's Inks might have been included in there. Much as I've generally liked his older albums like Season 5, Perimeters and Pollen, it's been a long time since he indulged in prog-psy of that nature. Rather, dub techno and journeys through the sonic spaces between has dominated his muse for the past decade, and after the wafer-thin outing that was Far & Off with MikTek, not to mention Ultimae's general direction, I wasn't in any hurry to hear where his muse was going.

Still, I was willing to listen to some Bandcamp samples, and what's this? D'n'B rhythms? In an Ultimae release!? Oh... oh my! Never would I have imagined hearing something like that out of this label, much less from Aes Dana himself. And sure, they're nothing on the level of some fierce Technical Itch Amen break action, but those broken beats in Unfold, Transparency Syndrome, Ashen, and Alep Offset sure skip and stutter like some low-key, ASC microfunk does. Well, I'm sold, let's check Inks out proper-like then.

Honestly though, first impressions are gonna' be tough to get through, because yeah, Mr. Villuis' first solo album in seven years does have that omnipresent, minimalist grey-tone dub techno vibe throughout. If modern Ultimae still doesn't do it for you, little on Inks will change your mind, and you'd be forgiven for dismissing it out of hand.

Yet once this album finally (finally!) started sinking in, I was quite mesmerized by the diversity lurking beneath the surface. Tunes on that more classic Ultimae downbeat tip include the titular opener and Akacie, while techno of all stripes gets a look in with Nuphar Log (classic dub), Peace Corrosion (minimalist proggy outing), and Otherness (d'at Berghain shi'). Some ambient pieces in The Gradual District and Juniper round things out, but man, even Alep Offset is a journey and a half. Ol' Vincent even slows the tempo down to a hip-hop crawl. D'n'B and hip-hop in an Ultimae release? Wonders never cease.

Again, if you remain unconvinced about the label's current general tone, I doubt Inks will change your mind. I was glad I gave this a chance though. Heck, it even got me hype to nab Aes Dana's more recent album, (a) period. Heard quite good things about that one and it's already sold out. Son of a b

Sunday, August 7, 2022

Owl - Infinite Horizon

Silent Season: 2021

I brought this up in the last Silent Season review I did (Daar's Entire), but man, has there ever been a lasting drought from this label. Daar's album remains the 'final' item they released, while this Infinite Horizon from Owl is only a month older. I feel like I'll have gone through the entire Silent Season back-catalogue in reverse order before they release something new. You think I'm joking, but Tomas Jirku's Touching The Sublime is also in my queue, currently the 'fourth-to-last' item from the label. Ooh, and now the OCD compels me to grab the digital-only Moon Song EP from Yuka, just to claim I have all these in proper order. Or heck, why not drop a hundred bones on the entire Bandcamp collection? Sure, I already have twenty out of the sixty-seven releases, but I'm gonna' need something to satisfy my Silent Season fix in their ongoing absence.

Owl is Pierre Nesi, a chap who's released a scattershot amount of material over the past decade. He had an earlier, modestly successful run making drum 'n' bass and future garage with fellow Belgian Lucas D'Haeyaert as Glÿph (yikes, guys, change that Discogs photo! You look right out of an Aphex Twin video). Seems the Owl alias emerged as a means of exploring the more atmospheric elements of his muse, with rhythms more on the downbeat. He made a debut on Silent Season as part of their 10 Year Collection series of vinyl releases, returning half a decade later for there here seven track debut solo album.

As this is a Silent Season release, I went into Infinite Horizon fully expecting to hear things like fuzzy field recordings, layers of dubby timbre, and maybe even some of techno's rhythmic pulse. Sure enough, opener Moonshine Haze provides that, but gosh, why does that distant howl put my nerves on edge? There's still some sense of hazy, grey-tone melancholy to Mr. Nesi's choice of synth harmony, which fits that omnipresent coastal rainforest vibe I've long associated with the label. There's just something oddly bleak about it too.

And that tone doesn't let up in following tracks Glimpse Of Decline and Losing Cohesion. Despite moments of melodic respite (dashes of spritely bells in Decline, the sound of chirping birds in Cohesion), there's still an overwhelming sense of depression. Heck, I'll just come right out and say Two Lands is out-and-out dark ambient, the sort you might hear on a Cryo Chamber cinematic drone release.

I can't say that's the dominate tone of Infinity Horizon though. Hidden Forest is a straight up dub techno cut in the classic Silent Season wide-screen ambient vein, while Distant Transmission and the titular cut go more for the reflective ambient dub outings. Overall, this seven tracker hits most of the vintage vibes you'd expect out of this label. I just have never heard Silent Season go as dark as Two Lands before. Makes me wonder what else I might have missed over the years.

Saturday, August 6, 2022

Various - In Trance We Trust Xtra Nordic Edition: DJ John Storm

In Trance We Trust: 2001

I've picked up In Trance We Trust CDs for a myriad of reasons: spiffy TranceCritic review, a string of gimmick reviews, a sense of OCD-induced completism. Oddly, and perhaps a bit sadly, I've seldom gotten one because it intrigued me. Y'know, that twinge of curiosity one feels glancing upon cover art, a list of names on the back you're unfamiliar with and wish to explore further. There was a little with some editions (shout out to In Trance We Trust 006, yo'!), but I'm eighteen CDs deep now and it remains a rare occurrence.

Not so with Xtra Nordic Edition. For a label that's always been well-regarded for its classy photos, this one struck out like few others (Ringworld?). I've made my love of frigid Arctic scenery quite known on this blog, so naturally a huge hunk of ice floating in the darkest waters gets my senses tingling. Will this be filled with frosty-cool trance music, some deep chill cuts you just wouldn't hear anywhere else but the Nordic regions of Europe? The Scandinavians were already making quite the rep' with their cosmic disco tunes, could we get something of similar ilk from DJ John Storm?

Haha, no, nothing of the sort. Rather, the early days of Black Hole Recordings – and specifically In Trance We Trust – had a kinda'-sorta' partnership going with the Planetary Consciousness label. Never mind the print was based out of Berlin, they seemed to have a tap on Nordic trance jocks, some of which helmed the early run of In Trance We Trust CDs. It wasn't long before Black Hole would stick with in-house talent, but those initial ties still lingered for a time, and with the Black Hole empire in rapid ascent by the year 2001, what harm in exporting the brand into lands where they already had a beachhead?

As for the actual mix... well, I like about half of it. I've no idea what kind of jock Oddgeir “John Storm” Kristensen is, because this is his only entry within Lord Discogs, though apparently went on to form a Norwegian rap group called Side Brok. In any case, I sense two sets out of Mr. Storm: the one where he has to play a bunch of the Dutchiest Dutch trance that ever Dutched out of Black Hole, and the set where he just bangs things out with some propah' tough tech-trance. The latter mostly comes care of names like Impact and Project 247, with tunes that fit that supposed In Trance We Trust manifesto of showcasing the harder side of the genre.

The other prominent tunes has Geert Huinink as a producer, five out of the twelve. Yeah, that Geert Huinink, so expect those kinds of breakdowns, with those orchestral swells. What's amusing though, is in final track Protuberance from Dawnseekers, as the breakdown reaches its Geertiest moment, Oddgeir cuts the track off and ends the set, denying the listener the expectant gratuitous build-up. Expert trolling there, my friends!

Wednesday, August 3, 2022

Various - In Trance We Trust 001: DJ Misja Helsloot

In Trance We Trust: 1998

Going back to the very beginning of this label's existence was inevitable, especially if I ever want to sate this bizarre desire to 'complete the set'. Oddly, In Trance We Trust 001 wasn't that hard to find for a reasonable penny, at least compared to the subsequent volumes. Is it because Mr. Helsloot has remained active to this day? For sure Discoggian data is utterly sparse for DJ Stigma and DJ Lars Holte, though that may be for other reasons I needn't get into here.

Anyhow, we should be plenty familiar with the story now. Black Hole Recordings established, DJ Tiësto quickly releasing a couple of his famed Magik mix CDs, fame growing, then *boom*! Sub-labels spring up aplenty. Actually, I'm not entirely sure how many emerged shortly after Black Hole's launch. I was honestly surprised to discover In Trance We Trust was birthed so soon after its parent label though, my head somehow thinking it wasn't until the year 2000. And yet, listening to the inaugural mix CD from this two decade-plus old print (!!), you could have easily convinced me it was launched even earlier.

I know the state of trance was somewhat in flux throughout 1998, but there's still an easily identifiable sound we associate with the era: sawwave anthems, gated pads, melodies that really get your gurn on. I was not expecting to hear vintage choir pads right from the opening in Hammock Brothers' Blaze Of Night. Even more confounding to my senses is this is one of Mr. Verwest's early collabs, in this case Roland Kramer. Right, it totally gets its Sash! on when the peak hits, but so did a lot of clubby trance back then, and not every one of them did the ol' school German trance thing while doing so.

Speaking of way-old aliases hardly anyone remembers, hoo boy are there a bunch of them here. M.I.K.E. and Deruyter (as Extreme Trax), Benno de Goeij (as Ceres), Taucher and Stenzel (as Red Light District), Transa (as Cascade), with Corsten (as Moonman) on the rub. Actually, this Transcend tune is one I definitely recall hearing 'back in the day', and a clear precursor to his massive Out Of The Blue, doing that 'hold the build e-e-e-extra long' thing.

That was 'the future of trance' though, and Misja fills this CD with plenty of old-sounding trance from names like DJ Philip, Solar Plexus, Warlock, and even his own E-Mocean. Elsewhere, tunes like De-Tuned from Reversed Twister, Did You Hear Me? from Red Light District, and, erm, Sakin & Friends' Protect Your Mind and Tiësto's own Theme From Norefjell point to where things were headed.

Which would make for an interesting set if Mr. Helsloot thematically arranged things to support this dichotomy, but he doesn't. Frankly, the mixing is shockingly abrupt, with key clashes and hard slams everywhere. I guess when everyone making the genre aren't all using the same presets yet (much less studio polished into label homogeneity), these things are more noticeable.

Tuesday, August 2, 2022

KMFDM - In Dub

Metropolis: 2020

Industrial rock and reggae dub hand in hand? It's not as daft an idea as first glance suggests. Both have roots in the realm of studio sonic experimentation, and several artists have paid nods and tributes to the other scene's taste-makers. There's even been ample examples of the two merging with winning results, Kevin Martin's The Bug probably the most obvious example, at least where this blog's concerned.

And while KMFDM made their mark in the '90s with a brand of EBM they self-described as Ultra Heavy Beat, Sascha K. wormed elements of dub in sporadic works as early as the 1989 album UAIOE. Clearly that fell by the wayside as thrashy guitars and aggro techno came to dominate the KMFDM sound, but it's never left his muse. All he needed was an opportunity to fully explore it. Eh, some global thing has made touring impossible for a while? That'll do.

Thus unlike many other 'in dub' albums out there, KMFDM's In Dub was produced completely in house, Sascha manning the console himself. While it would have been interesting to hear some radically different takes on KMFDM tunes from some of dub music's prominent producers (ooh, a Bug rub on Anarchy would hit just right, I wager), Mr. K. handles himself well enough. He's got all the standard tropes of reggae down pat – the heavy reverb on languid drums, the wobby-bobby basslines, the trumpet fills, the organ fills... and not much else, to be honest. Sure, he works in his shouty vocals, Lucia's singing, and chopped-up guitar action as featured in the original tunes he's bigging the dub up on, but doesn't push the envelope further than that. I mean, a full-on reggae dub version of KMFDM songs is plenty 'nuff envelope pushing where this band's concerned.

Alright then, which tracks are getting the In Dub treatment then? Some good ol' classics like Juke Joint Jezebel, Power, Glory, Terror, Apathy, Megalomanical? Ah, we kick off with Angst's kick-off, Light. Hmm, don't recognize Superhero, Uranus or Bumaye, but here's A Drug Against War, also from Angst. Then... uh huh... uh huh... huh. I don't recognize anything else at all. I know I've barely scratched the surface of the totality of KMFDM's catalogue, but surely more would have been included from the agreed-upon 'golden era'. What gives?

But yes, aside from the two Angst tracks, everything given a redubbing on In Dub comes from the band's post-2000 era, after En Esch and Günter Schulz had left. Despite some dozen albums being released, I'm wholly unfamiliar with this phase, and I'm not entirely sure I'm inclined to explore it much.

Which doesn't mean I don't enjoy In Dub for what it is. In fact, maybe I like it a little more, convincing myself these are mostly wholly new creations intended for this release? Mm, nah, I'm not so naive. It's a fun diversion, though you definitely need to be on that reggae dub vibe to get much out of it.

Monday, August 1, 2022

ACE TRACKS: April - June 2022

Well. Don't think I'll be doing that again.

It was so much easier working two festivals per summer when they were separated by a month. After so many fire seasons threatening to derail everything, however, the Shambhala Music Festival decided to move its event into July, only a couple weeks after the other one I've been attending, Basscoast. Then ~THE PANDEMIC~ happened, thus delaying everything for three years before we could see how such a change would take effect. Ironically, despite Shambhala moving its dates earlier into the year to avoid potential fire closures, my region of the world has been going through one of its rainiest summers on record, rendering the fire threat a moot point.

Anyhow, I had a ton of vacation time banked, so decided to do both festivals despite the short turnaround. I can't say things didn't go as planned, because for the most part, things did, even if I mostly only enjoyed the first 3/4s of Shambhala, and the last 1/4 of Basscoast (so, combined, a perfect festival!). It's just circumstances made for a far more hectic month than I was prepared for, plus two bouts of post-festival sickness thrown in for good measure. No COVID though (at least, according to the tests), so there's that?

If both festies are gonna' insist on existing within the same month, think I'm gonna' have to choose one over the oth- it's Shambhala. It'll always be Shambhala. Basscoast is fun when it's in full-swing, but kinda' dull place to chill, especially when you're working pre-show (not to mention the 'volunteer situation' has grown rather unfavourable). The Kootenays will always be a preferred vacation destination, even when putting in a little hard work while out there.

So that's my month of July wrapped up. How was yours? And while sharing, here's a long overdue ACE TRACKS playlist, gathering up music from April through June (and a little July):


Full Track List here.


MISSING ALBUMS:
Pale Glow - In Dreams Awake
Speedy J - Ieee Mitten Menu
Silent Universe - Gravity
Various - Fabric 69: Sandwell District
Various - Fabric 58: Craig Richards Presents The Nothing Special
Fabric 55: Shackleton
Grid - Evolver
Speedy J - Evolution
Daar - Entire
Aythar - ElectrOcean / Winter Walk

Percentage Of Hip-Hop: 6%
Percentage Of Rock: 0%
Most “WTF?” Track: Probably anything from Technical Itch, Parental Advisory, or The Bug, as they'll often suddenly, aggressively appear after some calming ambient music.

Seriously, there's a lot of ambient music in this playlist, not to mention a fair chunk of tunes on the downbeat. Probably great if you're up for some extreme chill time (post-festival blahs, let's say), but I certainly wouldn't want to take a long road trip to this.

Things I've Talked About

...txt 10 Records 16 Bit Lolita's 1963 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2 Play Records 2 Unlimited 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 20xx Update 2562 3 Loop Music 302 Acid 36 3FORCE 3six Recordings 4AD 6 x 6 Records 75 Ark 7L & Esoteric 808 State A Perfect Circle A Positive Life A-Wave a.r.t.less A&M Records A&R Records Abandoned Communities Abasi Above and Beyond abstract AC/DC Ace Trace Ace Tracks Playlists Ace Ventura acid acid house acid jazz acid techno acoustic Acroplane Recordings Adam Beyer Adam Ellis Adam Freeland Adham Shaikh ADNY Adrian Younge adult contemporary Advanced UFO Phantom Aegri Somnia AEI Music Aes Dana Afgin Afrika Bambaataa Afro-house Afterhours Agoria Aidan Casserly Aira Mitsuki Airwaves Ajana Records Ajna AK1200 Akshan album Aldrin Alex Smoke Alex Theory Alice In Chains Alien Community Alien Project Alio Die All Saints Alpha Wave Movement Alphabet Zoo Alphaxone Altar Records Alter Ego alternative rock Alucidnation Ambelion Ambidextrous ambient ambient dub ambient techno Ambient World Ambientium Ametsub Amon Amarth Amon Tobin Amplexus Anabolic Frolic Anatolya Andrea Parker Andrew Heath Androcell Anduin Andy C anecdotes Aniplex Anjunabeats Annibale Records Anodize Another Fine Day Antendex anthem house Anthony Paul Kerby Anthony Rother Anti-Social Network Anzio Green Aoide Aphasia Records Aphex Twin Apócrýphos Apollo Apollo 440 Apple Records April Records Aqua Aquarellist Aquascape Aquasky Aquila Arcade Architects Of Existence Archives Arcturus arena rock Arista Armada Armin van Buuren Arpatle Artifact303 Arts & Crafts ASC Ashtech Asia Asian Dub Foundation Astral Engineering Astral Projection Astral Waves Astralwerks AstroPilot AstroPilot Music Asura Asylum Records ATB ATCO Records Atlantic Atlantis atmospheric jungle Atom Heart Atomic Hooligan Atomine Elektrine Atrium Carceri Attic Attoya Audiobulb Records Audion AuroraX Autechre Autistici Autumn Of Communion Auxilary Auxiliary Avantgarde Avatar Records Aveparthe Avicii Axiom Axs Axtone Records Aythar B.G. The Prince Of Rap B°TONG B12 Babygrande Balance Balanced Records Balearic ballad Bålsam Banco de Gaia Bandulu Barker & Baumecker Battle Axe Records battle-rap Bauri Beastie Boys Beat Buzz Records Beat Pharmacy Beatbox Machinery Beats & Pieces bebop Beck Bedouin Soundclash Bedrock Records Beechwood Music Benny Benassi Bent Benz Street US Berlin-School Beto Narme Beyond bhangra Bicep big beat Big Boi Big Dada Recordings Big L Big Life Bill Hamel Bill Laswell Bill Leeb BIlly Idol BineMusic BioMetal Biophon Records Biosphere Bipolar Music BKS Black Hole Recordings black metal black rebel motorcycle club Black Swan Sounds Blanco Y Negro Blasterjaxx Bleep Blend Blood Music Blow Up Blue Amazon Blue Hour Blue Öyster Cult blues blues rock Bluescreen Bluetech BMG Boards Of Canada Bob Dylan Bob Marley Bobina Bogdan Raczynzki Bombay Records Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Boney M Bong Load Records Bonobo Bonzai Boogie Down Productions Booka Shade Botchit & Scarper Bows Boxed Boys Noize Boysnoize Records BPitch Control braindance Brandt Brauer Frick Brasil & The Gallowbrothers Band breakbeats breakcore breaks Brian Eno Brian Wilson Brick Records Britpop Brodinski broken beat Brooklyn Music Ltd Bryan Adams BT Bubble Buffalo Springfield Bulk Recordings Burial Burned CDs Bursak Records Bush Busta Rhymes Buttertones bvdub C.I.A. Calibre calypso Canibus Canned Resistor Canopy Of Stars Capitol Records Capsula Captain Hollywood Project Captured Digital Carbon Based Lifeforms Caribou Carl B Carl Craig Carlos Ferreira Carol C Caroline Records Carpe Sonum Novum Carpe Sonum Records Castroe Casual Cat Sun CD-Maximum Ceephax Acid Crew Celestial Dragon Records Cell Celtic Centaspike Cevin Fisher Cheb i Sabbah Cheeky Records chemical breaks Chihei Hatakeyama Children Of The Bong chill out chill-out chiptune Chris Duckenfield Chris Fortier Chris Korda Chris Liebing Chris Sheppard Chris Witoski Christmas Christopher Lawrence Chromeo Chronos Chrysalis Ciaran Byrne cinematic soundscapes Circle of Pines Circular Ciro Berenguer Cirrus Cities Last Broadcast City Of Angels CJ Stone Claptone classic house classic rock classical Claude Young Clear Label Records Clementz Cleopatra Cloud 9 Club Culture Club Cutz Club Tools Cocoon Recordings Cold Spring Coldcut Coldplay coldwave Colette collagist Columbia Com.Pact Records Coma Eye comedy Compilation Comrie Smith Congo Natty Conjure One Connect.Ohm conscious Control Music Convextion Cooking Vinyl Cor Fijneman Corderoy Cosmic Gate Cosmic Replicant Cosmo Cocktail Cosmos Studios Cottonbelly Council Estate Electronics Council Of Nine Counter Records country country rock Covert Operations Recordings Craig Padilla Craig Richards Crazy Horse Cream Creamfields Creedence Clearwater Revival Crockett's Theme Crosby Stills And Nash Crossing Mind Crosstown Rebels crunk Cryo Chamber Cryobiosis Cryogenic Weekend Cryostasis Crystal Moon Cube Guys Culture Beat Curb Records Current Curve cut'n'paste CYAN Cyan Music Cyber Productions CyberOctave Cyclic Law Cygna Cypher 7 Cypress Hill Cyril Secq Czarface D-Bridge D-Fuse D-Topia Entertainment Daar Dacru Records Daddy G Daft Punk Dag Rosenqvist Damian Lazarus Damon Albarn Damon Wild Dan Terminus Dan The Automator Dance 2 Trance Dance Pool Dance With The Dead dancehall Daniel Heatcliff Daniel Lentz Daniel Pemberton Daniel Wanrooy Danny Howells Danny Tenaglia Dao Da Noize Daphni dark ambient dark disco dark psy darkcore darkside darkstep darksynth darkwave Darla Records Darren Emerson Darren McClure Darren Nye DAT Records Databloem dataObscura David Alvarado David Bickley David Bridie David Cordero David Guetta David Morley DDR De-tuned Dead Coast Dead Melodies Deadmau5 Death Grips death metal Death Row Records Decimal Deconstruction Dedicated Deejay Goldfinger Deep Dish Deep Forest deep house Deeply Rooted House Deepwater Black Deetron Def Jam Recordings Del Tha Funkee Homosapien Delerium Delsin Deltron 3030 Denshi Danshi Depeche Mode Der Dritte Raum Derek Carr Detroit Deviant Records Devin Underwood Devroka Deysn Masiello DFA DGC diametric. Dido Dieselboy Different DigiCube Dillinja Dirk Serries dirty house Dirty South Dirty Vegas Dis Fig disco Disco Gecko disco house Disco Pinata Records disco punk Discover (label) Disky Disques Dreyfus Distant System Distinct'ive Breaks Disturbance Divination DJ 3000 DJ Brian DJ Craze DJ Dag DJ Dan DJ Dean DJ Gonzalo DJ Heather DJ John Kelley DJ John Storm DJ Merlin DJ Mix DJ Moe Sticky DJ Observer DJ Premier DJ Q-Bert DJ Shadow DJ Soul Slinger DJ-Kicks Djen Ajakan Shean DJMag DMC DMC Records Doc Scott Dogon Dogwhistle Dooflex Doom Poets Dopplereffekt Dossier Dousk downtempo dowtempo Dr. Alban Dr. Atmo Dr. Dre Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show Dr. Octagon Dragon Quest dream house dream pop DreamWorks Records Drexciya drill 'n' bass Dronarivm drone Dronny Darko drum 'n' bass DrumNBassArena drumstep drunken review dub Dub Pistols dub techno Dub Trees Dubfire dubstep Dubtribe Sound System DuMonde Dune Dusted Dyadik Dynatron E-Mantra E-Z Rollers Eardream Music Earth Earth Nation Earthling Eastcoast Eastcost Eastern Dub Tactik EastWest Eastworld Eat Static EBM Echodub Ed Rush & Optical Editions EG EDM World Weekly News Ektoplazm Electric Universe electro Electro House Electro Sun electro-funk electro-pop electroclash Electronic Dance Essentials Electronic Music Guide Electrovoya Elektra Elektrolux em:t EMC update EMI Emiliana Torrini Eminem Emmerichk Emperor Norton Empire enCAPSULAte Encym Engine Recordings Enigma Enmarta Ensiferum Enya EP Epic epic trance EQ Recordings Equal Stones Erased Tapes Records Eric Borgo Erik Vee Erol Alkan Escape Esko Barba Esoteric Reactive Espacio Cielo ethereal Etic Etnica Etnoscope Euphoria euro dance eurodance eurotrance Eurythmics Eve Records Everlast Ewan Pearson Exitab experimental Eye Q Records Ezdanitoff F Communications Fabric Facture Fade Records Faex Optim Faint Faithless Falcon Reekon Fallen False Mirror fanfic Fantastisizer Fantasy Enhancing faru Fatboy Slim Fax +49-69/450464 Fear Factory Fedde Le Grand Fehrplay Feist Fektive Records Felix da Housecat Fennesz Ferry Corsten FFRR Fictivision field recordings Filter filters Final Fantasy Firescope Five AM Fjäder Flashover Recordings Floating Points Flowers For Bodysnatchers Flowjob Fluke Fluxion Flying Lotus folk Fontana footwork Force Intel Fountain Music Four Tet FPU Frame Francis M Gri Frank Bretschneider Frankie Bones Frankie Knuckles Frans de Waard Fred Everything freestyle French house Front Line Assembly Frou Frou fsoldigital.com Fugees full-on Fun Factory funk future garage Future Sound Of London Futuregrapher futurepop g-funk G-Prod gabber Gabriel Le Mar Gaither Music Group Galaktlan Galati Gang Starr gangsta garage Gareth Davis Gary Martin Gas Gasoline Alley Records Gee Street Geffen Records Gel-Sol Genesis Geometry Combat George Issakidis Gerald Donald Get Physical Music ghetto Ghostface Killah Ghostly International Glacial Movements Records glam Gliese 581C glitch Glitch Hop Global Communication Global Underground Globular goa trance Goasia God Body Disconnect Gorillaz gospel Gost goth Grammy Awards Gravediggaz Green Bay Wax Green Day Grey Area Greytone Gridlock grime Groove Armada Groove Corporation Grooverider grunge Guru Gustaf Hidlebrand Gusto Records GZA H:U:M H2O Records Haddaway Halgrath happy hardcore hard house hard rock hard techno hard trance hardcore Hardfloor Hardly Art hardstyle Harlequins Enigma Harmless Harmonic 33 Harmonic Resonance Recordings Harold Budd Harthouse Harthouse Mannheim Hawtin Headphone Hearts Of Space Hed Kandi Hefty Records Helen Marnie Hell Hercules And Love Affair Hernán Cattáneo Hexstatic Hi-Bias Records Hic Sunt Leones Hide And Sequence Hiero Emperium Hieroglyphics High Contrast High Note Records Higher Ground Higher Intelligence Agency Hilyard hip-hop hip-house hipno Hollywood Burns Home Normal Honest Jon's Records Hooj Choons Hope Records horrorcore Hospital Records Hot Chip Hotflush Recordings house Howie B Huey Lewis & The News Human Blue Humanoid Hybrid Hybrid Leisureland Hymen Records Hyperdub Hypertrophy Hypnotic Hypnoxock I Awake I-Cube i! Records I.F. I.F.O.R. I.R.S. Records Iboga Records Icarus Music Ice Cube Ice H2o Records ICE MC IDM Iempamo Ignis Fatum Igorrr Ikjoyce illbient ILUITEQ Imogen Heap Imperial Dancefloor Imploded View In Charge In Trance We Trust Incoming Incubus Indica Records indie rock Indisc Industrial Infastructure New York Infected Mushroom Infinite Guitar influence records Infonet Inhmost Ink Midget Inner Ocean Records Innovative Leisure Records Insane Clown Posse Inspectah Deck Instinct Ambient Instra-Mental Intellitronic Bubble Inter-Modo Interchill Records Internal International Deejays Gigolo Interscope Records Intimate Productions Intuition Recordings ISBA Music Entertainment Ishkur Ishq Island Def Jam Music Group Island Records Islands Of Light Italians Do It Better italo disco italo house Item Caligo J-pop Jack Moss Jackpot Jacob Newman Jafu Jake Stephenson Jam and Spoon Jam El Mar James Blake James Holden James Horner James Lavelle James Murray James Zabiela Jamie Jones Jamie Myerson Jamie Principle Jamiroquai Javelin Ltd. Jay Haze Jay Tripwire Jaydee jazz jazz dance jazzdance jazzstep Jean-Michel Jarre Jefferson Airplane Jerry Goldsmith Jesper Dahlbäck Jessy Lanza Jimmy Van M Jiri.Ceiver Jive Jive Electro Jliat Jlin JMJ Joel Mull Joey Beltram John '00' Fleming John Acquaviva John Beltran John Digweed John Graham John Kelly John O'Callaghan John Oswald John Shima Johnny Cash Johnny Jewel Jon Hester Jonny L Jori Hulkkonen Joris Voorn Jørn Stenzel Josh Christie Josh Wink Journeys By DJ™ LLC Joyful Noise Recordings Juan Atkins juke Jump Cut jump up Jumpin' & Pumpin' jungle Junior Boy's Own Junkie XL Juno Reactor Jupiter 8000 Jurassic 5 Kaico Kay Wilder KDJ Keith Farrugia Ken Ishii Kenji Kawai Kenny Glasgow Keoki Keosz Kerri Chandler Kevin Braheny Kevin Yost Kevorkian Records Khetzal Khooman Khruangbin Ki/oon Kid Koala Kiko Killing Joke Kinder Atom Kinetic Records King Cannibal King Midas Sound King Tubby Kitaro Klang Elektronik Klaus Schulze Klik Records KMFDM Koch Records Koichi Sugiyama Kolhoosi 13 Komakino Kompakt Kon Kan Kool Keith Kozo Kraftwelt Kraftwerk Krafty Kuts Kranky krautrock Kriistal Ann Krill.Minima Kris O'Neil Kriztal KRS-One Kruder and Dorfmeister Krusseldorf Kubinski KuckKuck Kulor Kurupt Kwook L.B. Dub Corp L.S.G. L'usine La Luz Lab 4 Ladytron LaFace Records Lafleche Lamb Lange Large Records Lars Leonhard Laserlight Digital LateNightTales Latin Laurent Garnier Layer 3 LCD Soundsystem Le Moors Leaf Leama and Moor Lee 'Scratch' Perry Lee Burridge Lee Norris Leftfield Leftfield Records Legacy Legiac Legowelt Lemony Records Leon Bolier Les Disques Du Crépuscule LFO Linear Labs Lingua Lustra Lionel Weets Liquid Frog Records liquid funk Liquid Sound Design Liquid Stranger Liquid Zen Literon Live live album LL Cool J lo fi Loco Dice Lodsb LoFi London acid crew London Classics London Elektricity London Records 90 Ltd London-Sire Records LongWalkShortDock Loop Guru Loreena McKennitt Lorenzo Masotto Lorenzo Montanà loscil Lost Language Lotek Records Loud Records Louderbach Loverboy Lowfish Luaka Bop Lucette Bourdin Luciano Luke Slater Lunarian Records Lustmord M_nus M.A.N.D.Y. M.I.K.E. Mack 10 Madonna Magda Magik Muzik Mahiane Mali Malignant Records Mammoth Records Mantacoup Marc Simz Marcel Dettmann Marcel Fengler Marco Carola Marco V Marcus Intalex Mark Farina Mark Norman Mark Pritchard Markus Schulz Marshmello Martin Allin Martin Cooper Martin Nonstatic Märtini Brös Marvin Gaye Maschine Massimo Vivona Massive Attack Masta Killa Master Margherita Matthew Dear Max Graham maximal Maxx MCA MCA Records McProg Meanwhile Meat Loaf Median Project Medicine Label Meditronica Melusine Records Memex Menno de Jong Mercury Merr0w Mesmobeat metal Metal Blade Records Metamatics Method Man Metro Area Metroplex Metropolis MF Doom Miami Bass Miami Beach Force Miami Dub Machine Michael Brook Michael Jackson Michael Mantra Michael Mayer Mick Chillage micro-house microfunk Microscopics MIG Miguel Migs Mike Saint-Jules Mike Shiver Miktek Mille Plateaux Millennium Records Mind Distortion System Mind Over MIDI mini-CDs minimal minimal tech-house Ministry Of Sound miscellaneous Misja Helsloot Miss Kittin Miss Moneypenny's Mistical Mixmag Mixmaster Morris Mo Wax Mo-Do MO-DU Moby Model 500 modern classical Modeselektor Mohlao Moist Music Moljebka Pvulse Moodymann Moonshine Morgan Morphic Resonance Morphology Moss Covered Technology Moss Garden Motech Motionfield Motorbass Mount Shrine Move D Moving Shadow Mr. Scruff Mujaji Murk Murmur Mushy Records Music link Music Man Records musique concrete Mutant Sound System Mute MUX Muzik Magazine My Best Friend Mystery Tape Laboratory Mystica Tribe Mystified N-Trance Nacht Plank Nadia Ali Nano Records Napalm Records Nas Nashville Natural Life Essence Natural Midi Nature Sounds Naughty By Nature Nav Bhinder Nebula Neil Young Neo Ouija Neo-Adventures Neon Droid Neotantra Neotropic nerdcore Nervous Records Nettwerk Neurobiotic Records neurofunk Neuropa Records New Age New Beat New Jack Swing New Order new wave Nic Fanciulli Nick Höppner Night Hex Night Time Stories Nightmares On Wax Nightwind Records Nimanty Nine Inch Nails Ninja Tune Nirvana nizmusic No Mask Effect Nobuo Uematsu noise Noise Factory Records Nomad Nonesuch Nonplus Records Nookie Nordic Trax Norken Norman Cook Norman Feller North South Northumbria Not Now Music Nothing Records Nova NovaMute NRG Ntone nu-italo nu-jazz nu-metal nu-skool Nuclear Blast Nuclear Blast Entertainment Nulll Nunc Stans Nurse With Wound NXP Nyquist Oasis Ocelot Octagen Offshoot Offshoot Records Ol' Dirty Bastard Olan Mill Old Europa Cafe old school rave Ole Højer Hansen Olga Musik Olien Oliver Lieb Olivier Orand Olsen OM Records Omni Trio Omnimotion Omnisonus On Delancey Street One Little Indian Onyx Oophoi Oosh Open Open Canvas Opium Opus III orchestral Original TranceCritic review Origo Sound Orkidea Orla Wren Ornament Ostgut Ton Ott Ottsonic Music Ouragan Out Of The Box OutKast Outmosphere Records Outpost Records Overdream Owl P-Ben Pale Glow Paleowolf Pan Sonic Pantera Pantha Du Prince Paolo Mojo Parental Advisory Parlaphone Part-Sub-Merged Pascal F.E.O.S. Past Inside The Present Patreon Patrick Dream Paul Moelands Paul Oakenfold Paul van Dyk Pendulum Pentatonik Perfect Stranger Perfecto Perturbator Pet Shop Boys Petar Dundov Pete Namlook Pete Tong Peter Andersson Peter Benisch Peter Broderick Peter Gabriel Peter Tosh Phantogram Phonothek Photek Phutureprimitive Phynn PIAS Recordings Pinch Pink Floyd Pioneer Pitch Black PJ Harvey Plaid Planet Dog Planet Earth Recordings Planet Mu Planetary Assault Systems Planetary Consciousness Plastic City Plastikman Platinum Platipus Pleq Plump DJs Plunderphonic Plus 8 Records PM Dawn Poker Flat Recordings Polar Seas Recordings Pole Folder politics Polydor Polytel pop Popular Records Porya Hatami positivesource post-dubstep post-punk power electronics Prince Prince Paul Prins Thomas Priority Records Private Mountain Procs Profondita prog prog metal prog psy prog rock prog-psy progress house Progression progressive breaks progressive house progressive rock progressive trance Prolifica Proper Records Prototype Recordings protoU Pryda psy chill psy dub Psy Spy Records psy trance psy-chill psy-dub psychedelia Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia Psychomanteum Psychonavigation Psychonavigation Records Psycoholic Psykosonik Psysolation Public Enemy Pulse-8 Records punk punk rock Pureuphoria Records Purl Purple Soil Push PWL International Quadrophonia Quality Quango Quantic Quantum Quinlan Road R & S Records R'n'B R&B Ra Rabbit In The Moon Radio Slave Radioactive Radioactive Man Radiohead Rae Raekwon ragga Rainbow Vector raison d'etre Raja Ram Ralf Hildenbeutel Ralph Lawson RAM Records Randal Collier-Ford Random Review Rank 1 rant Rapoon RareNoise Records Ras Command Rascalz Raster-Noton Ratatat Raum Records rave RCA React Rebecca & Nathan Recycle Or Die Red Fog Red Jerry Redman Refracted reggae ReKaB REKIDS remixes Renaissance Renaissance Man Rephlex Reprise Records Republic Records Resist Music Restless Records RetroSynther Reverse Alignment Reverse Pulse Rhino Records Rhys Fulber Ricardo Villalobos Richard Durand Richard Stonefield Riley Reinhold Ringo Sheena Rising High Records RnB Roadrunner Records Robert Hood Robert Miles Robert Oleysyck Robert Rich Roc Raida rock rock opera rockabilly rocktronica Roger Sanchez ROIR Rollo Roman Ridder Rough Trade Rub-N-Tug Ruben Garcia Rudy Adrian Ruffhouse Records Rumour Records Running Back Ruptured World Ruthless Records RX-101 Rykodisc RZA S.E.T.I. 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