Denshi Danshi - Fluid Dynamics

Suntrip Records: 2015

It's a strange feeling, completing another Suntrip artist discography before starting others. I'm not talking the one-and-done types either, but those who have at least a couple LPs under their belt with the label. Mind, that list is quite pared down now – I think there's only a couple such examples left – but I do wonder if I'll even be halfway through this catalogue before I get to them. Hm, just how far along am I now anyway? *clickity-clicky clack* Oh, wow, I'm actually 43% done! Man, when I look at the pile of 'To Do' against 'Done', it sure doesn't seem like it. Then again, a few items I've reviewed were digital versions, hard copies long sold out (Ka-Sol's Fairytale the most prominent example).

So I'm back with Denshi Danshi (hyphen optional), the duo with a proper, distinct logo to their name. I mentioned on Brain Chemistry how so very important that was in helping them stand out from the glut of goa trance CDs currently occupying my space. Something striking, with colour contrast popping out at you. Okay, not so much their sophomore album, a bit over-busy with all the kaleidoscope colours. This one though, there's no averting your eyes, stark blue and yellow against deepest grey and black. Really nothing else like it in Suntrip's catalogue before or since.

Also regarding that album, I felt the full-on party sound of it was a little relentless, which was par for the course with many Suntrip outings as the years wore on. Thankfully, their debut shows a little more diversity, which makes sense as Monsieurs Frère and Acher have been around since the early days, among the earliest acts out of France going goa. Easy to forget just how many micro-labels sprung up in that country – not a touch on the U.K.'s, obviously, but a respectable amount nonetheless.

And if you somehow didn't know you were getting proper vintage with Fluid Dynamics, opening track The Dancing Shiva harkens as far back as you can get with this stuff, the bassline strictly a New Beat affair. Dang, it's dope hearing that slower, menacing rhythm with the usual trippy stuff. And the retro style doesn't end there, though it is pretty much the '90s vein of goa and psy we're dealing with. Some of it goes chunkier (Feed The Mugwumps, A Fast Trip Straight Down The Ladder, Tsuki), some more tear-out (Make Make, Maelstrom), plus those quirky outliers that spice a play-through up (Vanaspati, Kraft Karamel). And best of all, each track feels different from the other. I can only assume it's that 'analogue duo' factor playing into it.

Seriously, most of the best psy trance acts have been 'bands', in some fashion. What makes them so unique is that interplay between producers, letting one go off on some psychedelic tangent while the other holds the rudder steady. Not that this can't be done solo, but boy, does it ever sound 'looser' with multiple people at play.

Various - FabricLive. 83: Logan Sama

Fabric: 2015

It's kinda' sad more FabricLive CDs haven't made their way onto the cheapskate's market. Or maybe it's good, suggesting a level of interest the primary series seems to lack for certain spells. It's more sad from my vantage point, missing out on potentially dynamic sets. FabricLive may have started out more of a broken beat option for the Fabric brand, but as the years wore on, it allowed far more musical diversity, showcasing artists with an 'anything goes' mentality that simply wouldn't fit among the house and techno luminaries. Also, remarkably prescient of what hot new trends in the UK underground were due to blow up. Whether you figured these trends were good or bad boils down to personal preference, but it cannot be denied FabricLive was at least giving them some shine when others weren't quite ready for it.

One they did initially miss, however, was grime. To be fair, Fabric was far more focused on nu-skool breaks and d'n'b in those days, so the fact the first wave of that scene passed them by isn't entirely their fault. Nor the fact grime was so quickly subsumed by its dubstep offspring, getting any attention abroad a challenge for much of the '00s. It had its holdouts though, keeping some embers aglow on pirate stations, waiting for its chance to emerge from its underground roots once all the hype surrounding UK bass mutations subsided.

One of the chaps doing so was Logan Sama. In fact, he was so successful in keeping grime alive, he was given a shot at an official BBC program. That... didn't pan out, due to getting... well, not exactly 'me-too'd, but more 'James Gunn'd? Simply put, the internet never forgets whatever edgelord jokes you thought hilarious among your peers.

FabricLive. 83 came out before all that, Mr. Sama still on his way up. As for his set, it's nothing less than a definitive grime throwdown, twenty-four tracks of various *boom-boom, wuub-wub* sounds front to back. The energy remains hype, every track offering something different from the last and never overstaying its welcome before quickly moving onto the next. Far as Lord Discogs can tell, every cut is unique to this set, adding to the music's inner city punkish attitude. That, and the mostly shouty, spittin' multitude of MCs featured.

Oh, there's grime MCs. Lots of grime MCs. I count... three, four... twenty-five, twenty-six... forty-seven, forty-eight... seventy-nine... Yeah, as I said, lots. I even recognize one name in there, Flowdan! A number pop up on multiple tracks (P Money, D Double E, Bossman Birdie, Killa P, Jammz, etc.) but a whole lot more are one-and-done with their verses. I can't help but imagine a huge line-up of every grime rapper in Logan's sphere, itching for a chance to shine, reaching around the block from the studio this was recorded at, like some old-timey amateur talent radio show. Hey, no fair Hitman (25) and Ego (23), cutting back in line! Don't be disrespectin' Discarda like that.

Various - Aurora Sidera

Suntrip Records: 2015

What is this, a Suntrip CD every other review now? Is this, like, gonna' be my whole next year of reviews? Hey, the probability of it is high, but not stupidly so. When I look at two of my 'to review' CD towers, one of which is filled with discs from the goa trance label, the other filled with everything else, it certainly seems like it will be so. Ah, but that doesn't factor in the digital items lodged between them all, of which there are many. Honestly, almost all of my purchases these days are digital, mainly in support of Bandcamp Friday. So... maybe a mere third of my current queue is Suntrip CDs? Yeah, that'll break up any potential psy trance monotony, I'm sure!

Still, it feels weird that half of the half-dozen CDs I've covered thus far have been compilations. Suntrip isn't really heavy with the label showcase collections, letting artist albums do the lifting. One a year, sure, and perhaps a celebratory edition every now and then, but even with a near two-decade lifespan behind them, not a seriously robust number. Not such that they should have been so front-loaded in my alphabetical queue anyway (as if 3 out of 70+ is significant).

Anyhow, Aurora Sidera. Seems even Suntrip weren't entirely sure where to go with their annual compilations, what theme to explore each year, as the little Bandcamp blurb provided is almost a shrug. 'Cosmic Dawn' is the loose translation of this Latin phrase, and the reason for choosing this title is... because it sounded cool, I guess? Yeah, they claim this compilation is all about showing how the neo-goa movement isn't just about paying sonic tribute to the scene's roots, but also evolving into new forms as the years move on. Well, I dunno' about that – I mean, I've heard some of the releases that came after this CD too – but let's at least hear what Aurora Sidera has on offer.

Things kick off with acid. Welp, not gonna' complain about that! Three tracks worth, actually, growing more dynamic with each cut while still retaining those ol' school vibes. Then Morphic Resonance's Altered Perception adds squealing synth leads to the TB-303 action, while E-Mantra gives Artifact303's In Your Mind a thumpin' rub as the acid takes a backseat. Oh, and there's L.S.G.'s Microfish again. I'm starting to wonder if Oliver Lieb is the original source of that distinct spaced-out twisty-bleep sound, hearing it so much in psy trance over the years. On the other hand, he made the most memorable use of it, melding it with the vocal from Netherworld and all (itself a sample), so can you blame me for forever (and a day) linking it to him?

Ah, whoops, got distracted talking about Lieb again. Um, the rest of Aurora Sidera leans heavier into goa trance after that, solid enough stuff as always from Suntrip Records. Excuse me now, I want to listen to Vol. 2 again...

The Frozen Vaults - 1816

Voxxov Records: 2015

A super-group of modern classical? Well, I wouldn't know anything about that, but there are a few folk lending their talents to this project. Yuki Murata on piano. David Dhonau on cello. Tomasz Mreńca on violin. Whether they are major players or not, you'd have to sift through oodles of Discogs documents to figure that out, but they seem active enough. All well and good, but as usual, I'm coming into this from a different angle. Another player involved with The Frozen Vaults is Bartosz Dziadosz, whom I've covered here a couple times as Pleq. He's worked with the fifth member of this conglomerate, Harry Towell, who often releases similar lowercase ambient drone as Spheruleus. I guess they wanted to take their muses to another level, hence bringing in some modern classical musicians to craft this love-letter to one of the darkest years in modern human history.

Why so dark, you ask? The ridiculously massive explosion of Mount Tambora in Indonesia the year prior, is why. It ejected so much particulate matter into the atmosphere, the global temperature cooled significantly such that it was called The Year Without Summer – didn't do much good for crops, nosiree. And since this was still an era where communication across continents was limited by sea and sail, word of Tambora's mighty spew never reached the Western world, even if its after effects did. It was a mystery for many, this winter-summer, where good ol' uncertainty and superstition can take hold. Sounds like a perfect bit of inspiration for artists known for a little frigid, melancholic drone.

And this group doesn't waste time getting you settled into an appropriate mood. Opener First Moments features wind-swept field recordings with desolate atmosphere (yet also some chirping birds?), orchestral strings soon emerging as featured cello and violin solos forlornly glide along, finally ebbing to footsteps crunching under snowy streets. Not the most inviting introduction to the year 1816, but with cover art featuring an ice-encrusted sea vessel, what else would you expect?

The album mostly plays out in similar fashion. Field recordings place the listener into an old-timey environment, followed upon by Yuki, Tomasz, and David doing their thing in tandem. Sometimes the piano is given more prominence (God Rest Yet Merry Gentlemen), other times the violin or cello (Stilled), but throughout it all, always an omnipresent, low thrum and crackly white noise. Like, imagine you're watching some archival footage of folks trying to go about their business, even as an almost unnatural chill envelops their lives.

All well and cool, but one thing in particular sold me on this album sight-unheard. Okay, two things, but cover art notwithstanding, the fact that 1816 was mastered by Aes Dana truly sweetened the deal. His own label's output may be hit or miss, but that impeccable Ultimae touch on other artists' material always elevates things to another level. Bringing that to an album filled with lovely piano and violin playing? Can't be beat, yo'!

Night Hex - Viziuni Nocturne

Suntrip Records: 2015

Ended one box-set, time to start another. Okay, this technically isn't one, anymore than going through N:L:E's Bandcamp releases is. When one receives the bulk of a label's CD catalogue in a big ol' box though, it kind of counts. And Suntrip Records, they offered a deal I simply couldn't refuse - nor afford, so it was nice of Ishkur to chip in halfies for the collection. If any future updates to the Music Guide seems weighted way in favour of this label, now you know. Also, Suntrip releases really good goa trance, it does.

Yet in typical EMCritic fashion, I am not kicking off this journey into Suntrip Records with an album that typifies the label's 'neo-goa' sound. I mean, I kinda' already did, with Clementz' Kretsløp a year ago, but that doesn't really count – the notion of deep diving this print was hardly on my mind back then. What I'm getting at, though, is this mini-album from Night Hex is more of a standard prog-psy outing than the retro psy you'd expect out of Suntrip. Or maybe they do more than I could have guessed – it's not like I've listened to everything in their catalogue yet. Gotta' mix things up some, lest you get pigeonholed as a one-trick pony. Right, I'm sure there's some in the psy scene that would love nothing more than having every release on this label be a strict genre exercise, but I prefer things mixing up some, especially now that I've committed to giving coverage to Every. Single. Item.

Geez'it, am I ever rambling now. That usually happens if I don't have much to say about the given item I'm set to review, but maybe that's not the case. Maybe I'm typing this way because I'm writing this while still high on dental sedatives. Is that worthy an excuse here? No?

Look, there really isn't much to say about Night Hex. There's plenty to say about the man behind Night Hex, one Emanuel Carpus, but I don't want to spoil that fun just yet. Besides, I've already covered a couple of his releases, and have plenty more from him down the line, so don't want to get deep into what appears to be a simple one-off alias. Lord Discogs lists no other releases than this one, with but a couple stray compilation tracks rounding out the rest.

Four tracks make up this CD EP, plus a remix. Opener Night Visitors works the stready prog-psy vibe with mysterious sounds floating about with simple hooks at the peaks. Sleep Paralysis ups the tempo a smidge, carried by an almost melancholic melody before letting the twisty psy riffs do their thing. Distorted Visions ups the tempo more, getting into some proper goa trance pacing, with trancey multi-tap hooks and acid along for the ride. Katharsis is the requisite slowbeat psy-chill closer, while the ten-minute plus cut is a chugging prog-psy remix of the E-Mantra track Ninive Under The Stars. And now you know more.

Silent Universe - Stellar Winds

Ignis Fatum: 2015

Pavel finally released a new Silent Universe album! Naturally, I'm currently reviewing his first Silent Universe album, released back in 2015. Because if there's anything you can count on with this blog, it's never being timely in covering new releases. Unless you apply some Theory Of Relativity science behind it, I guess.

Like, from a certain vantage point, Stellar Winds is actually brand-spankin' new, and is the only Silent Universe in existence! What vantage point, you ask? Erm, from the Sirius star system's vantage point, I guess. It's only 8.6 light years away, which is just a little further than the distance Stellar Winds would have travelled had it been broadcast in that direction upon its release date. That's either incredibly awesome or mind-meltingly daunting, depending on your stance. Given that we are dealing with a dark ambient album here, I'm gonna' go with the 'reduces one's sense of being to cosmic mush' option.

But yes, having spent the first half of the '10s exploring all manner of frigid wastelands as Ugasanie, Mr. Malyshkin started branching out with side-projects that didn't quite fit that mould. Polterngeist got in on some occult themes, while Silent Universe set its sights among the stars. Or the nothingness between the stars. Or the Lovecraftian horrors that dwell within dead stars. There's potentially a lot of things to explore out there, is what I'm saying, even if it appears to be a whole lotta' nothing getting there.

I think that's what struck me about Stellar Winds, more a sense of journey in this album compared to his latter offerings. That may be a case of dabbling in various aspects of cosmic drone rather than creating a singular mood, but it cannot be denied Pavel's provided a little journey of sorts. Peering Into The Sky is about as neutral a piece of dark ambient drone can be in this context, letting the overhanging black wash upon you, seeing just how deep into the cosmos we really can peer, whether we should or not.

Oh, this doesn't seem so bad. Nebulas And Clusters offers a little harmonic tone for you, letting the grandeur of these massive, parsec-spanning forms gently flow among an unfathomable void. Speaking of, this piece kinda' reminds me of the opening track from The Infinity Coordinates, if a little more minimalist in execution.

That's about the end of 'tranquility' offered by Stellar Winds. Silent Of Stars is a lengthy drone with the pitch slowly lowerering, as though descending into the abyss. And what do we find on the other side? Pure desolation with Zodiacal Light and Terminator, while In The Meteor Shower has us... wait, is this mechanical breathing I hear? Have I been in a stasis pod all this time? Goodness, I never would have thought I'd have feelings of claustrophobia in an album designed to feel open isolation. There's even a trailing bit of melancholic tone towards the end, implying this grand journey has always been within the mind. Seems about right.

ASC - Imagine The Future

Samurai Red Seal: 2015

I've covered a fair bit of ASC on this blog, but aside from my first dip into Mr. Clements' discography (Nothing Is Certain) and the multi-part Sci-Files series, it's been almost entirely his ambient output. Even then, I've barely scratched the surface of those records, but I know there's more to his muse than lengthy dronescapes. No, it's about time I scoped out something of his that has some rhythmic momentum going on, a trip into techno or dive into d'n'b again. Imagine The Future is thus that album that'll get me there, for no other reason than because it was the one of the ones that was there. On ASC's Bandcamp, that is. Can't be too fussy, I s'pose.

This actually is a bit of an appropriate album to check out, in that it was released the same year as Fervent Dream, when I started listening to more ASC proper-like. Oh, what strange and bizarre butterfly-effect may have happened in that alternate timeline, had I chosen Imagine The Future over Fervent Dream. Well, no, I can't conjure any such quantum variation upon my current state of being. I got Fervent Dream because it was on Silent Season, it being an ASC album just an added bonus. There was no 'zine hype surrounding Samurai Red Seal at the time (at least, none that I was aware of, and certainly no spiffy Resident Advisor write-up). Not that it would matter, as this was the last album released on the Samurai Music off-shoot (ASC's Space Echo EP being the very last item – James sure knows how to pick 'em).

Anyhow, Imagine The Future kicks off with a three-part, near twelve-minute piece titled Sunspots. When I first threw the album on, I did not realize it was a three-part, near twelve-minute piece, and honestly thought I was listening to a continuous mix. Look, when each 'Event' sounds radically different from the other, going from a chill bleepy ambience, to a harsher beatless techno dub, to out-and-out experimentation, you'd be forgiven for thinking the same.

That bit of artistic indulgence out of the way, Mr. Clements turns his attention to more conventional songcraft, kinda'. By the mid-'10s, he was well onto pushing the boundaries of how much sonic space he could breathe into his minimalist microfunk beats, and Imagine The Future pushes far indeed. Even when the tempo is technically high and brisk, the low thrum of bass and smooth, breezy rhythms never dominates a given track, letting the sparse melodic fills and cosmic reverb do the heavy lifting. It's like where the bleeding edge of techno and d'n'b meet out there, in space, but as viewed (heard?) from our distant, Earthly vantage point.

It all sounds neat and interesting, but there's a bit of a sterile, clinical approach to it too. I think I've just been spoiled by ASC's warmer sonic adventures into ambience, Imagine The Future coming off as a hard yank back into techno dystopia by comparison. Perfect for forlorn Photek fans!

Silent Universe - Gravity

Ignis Fatum: 2015

Another promising space-themed side-project that seems to have stalled. Why do I keep stumbling into these? Okay, my sample-size is small, but I'm sure if I kept digging deeper and deeper into all these niche scenes featuring artists with multiple aliases, I'd come across more. I just don't want to keep getting my hopes up, is all. The gap between Distant System releases was excruciating enough, and I needn't put myself through more of that on the regular. Oh, but they tempts us, they do...

I should be thankful The Infinity Coordinates isn't the lone Silent Universe album out there. Yeah, it's been half a decade since Pavel Malyshkin debuted the project on Cryo Chamber, but he's had plenty 'nuff on his plate with continual explorations of all things cold and remote as Ugasanie. Like, imagine if you were a hardcore fan of his other side-project, Polterngeist. That one didn't even get the Cryo bump, mostly relegated to self-releases, and remaining in mothballs for as long as Silent Universe has. Polterngeist did have one item out on Ignis Fatum, the minuscule Belarus net-label that housed the first two Silent Universe albums, so there's that at least.

Was this project started to support Ignis Fatum? Like, I can see Pavel wanting to help the label, though many dark ambient producers from eastern Europe did contribute to their debut compilation Inception (Dronny Darko, Aseptic Void, Symbiosis, to name just a few I'm familiar with via Cryo Chamber). There was even a couple Ugasanie tracks on Ignis Fatum collections, but for whatever reason, Pavel felt this was an opportunity to explore other sounds away from his most successful alias. Fair enough. When your most prominent work gets tied to a certain style, it's harder to creatively branch out. Here's a fresh name for a fresh label, and see what may come of those stellar winds.

Gravity was the second of the two Silent Universe releases on Ignis Fatum (so sayeth Discoggian release dates), and kinda' feels like the more standard of them. Yep, it's another dark space ambient LP themed around singularities, black holes, and all the cataclysmic events that occur at the bleeding edge of observable physics. Plus a pair of tracks titled Dark Energy and Dark Matter, in case you're feeling saucy about exotic astrophysics. Musically, such as it is, we're in Lustmordian drone territory, all ominous atonal moods and sounds. Subtle hints of melodic harmony occasionally emerges in some of the seven tracks (Dark Energy, Event Horizon, Among The Dead Stars), while others seek to simply crush your sense of self (Black Hole, Hubble Radius).

As mentioned, it's all familiar territory where Stygian cosmic drone is concerned. Even knowing how adept Pavel is at this style, I was quite surprised at how encompassing Gravity sounded on my headphones while dozing. Had to take them off at one point to make sure I wasn't hearing it from my regular speakers, as I'm sure drones that loud would wake the neighbours.

Various - Drum & Bass Arena 2015

AEI Music: 2015

About a year ago, I got it in my head that, instead of just waiting around for another anniversary anthology from the Drum & Bass Arena, I ought to scope out their yearly compilations too. Surely there's enough annual material to justify three CDs worth of d'n'b. Perhaps, but I doubt the Arena would be the outlet for such a comprehensive collection. Don't get me wrong, they've done a remarkable job serving as a curator for the junglist mah'seeve since the Web 1.0 days. It's sometimes been a handicap though, focusing on what's the most trendy and popular out there. Granted, the drum 'n' bass scene is remarkably wide and diverse, and the Arena at least dips its toes in many genres, even if others are passed (ain't no Tech Itch Recordings here, no sir).

So I fire up their Bandcamp page, and settle on two releases from their annual series: 2015 and 2019. Something old, something new. Yes, Drum & Bass Arena 2019 is indeed the 'newest' of these, for reasons I'm sure we're all too familiar with by now. As for Drum & Bass Arena 2015... um, I'm technically still waiting for it. I haven't a clue what happened, but they haven't shipped the CDs (I did receive 2019), despite having an 'estimated to ship' notice on it. Haven't been able to contact anyone about it, and am well past the 'get a refund' window by now. Besides, I still have the digital download of 2015, and surely that's enough, right? Well, not quite.

I'm not sure why, but the digital version of 2015 only includes fifty-two tracks of the sixty that makes up the CDs. Also, unlike later Bandcamp releases of D&BArena CDs, 2015 doesn't have a continuous mix option. Hey, swell beans having unmixed tracks and all, but something tells me I'd appreciate this selection more with the beats and drops coming relentless and rapid fire. Not to mention those missing eight tunes.

Anyhow, the music. Names I'm plenty familiar with show up – TC, Calbire, Calyx, Spor, Black Sun Empire, Total Science – and a whole lot more I'm not. Which is good, the point of annual retrospectives offering some shine to the underground and unknown. Honestly though, the production homogeneity among many of them is so rampant, you could tell me half of them are the same guy, and I wouldn't be the wiser. Hey, genres are genres for a reason.

Best I can glean from the tracks I do have, CD1 of 2015 mostly features d'n'b's version of full-on tear-out anthems and whatnot: the Pendulum continuum. CD2 goes deeper into tech-step's domain, even glancing sideways a bit towards drumstep, before unloading its own anthems for the end. CD3 has the most soulful tunes of this collection, pure afterhours vibes. Or bus ride home, as the case may be. Isn't it funny, that d'n'b saves its chill stuff for the comedown, rather than a pre-party patio soundtrack that, say, deep house occupies?

Rapoon - Downgliding

Carpe Sonum Novum: 2015

Starting a label as a spiritual successor to Pete Namlook's Fax +49-69/450464 is all well and good, but surely Carpe Sonum Records has greater aspirations than being an outlet for modern ambient techno musicians. You bet, and after a few years shaking things out with their main label, an off-shoot emerged with the handle of Carpe Sonum Novum. Far as I can tell, this sub-label mostly features music that isn't quite in line with the vintage Fax+ stylee: techno dub, modern classical, future jazz, acid IDM, and the like. Gabriel Le Mar has released a small pile of CDs here, as well as Carpe Sonum Prime regulars Mick Chillage, Thomas Heckmann, and Krystian Shek.

For my inaugural dive into Carpe Sonum Novum, however, I'm going with a little more Rapoon, because we can never go wrong with a little more Rapoon. Unless it's another album like Song From The End Of The World - brrr, it still sends shivers down my spine. Downgliding isn't like that one though. In fact, it's unlike any of the previous three Rapoon albums I've reviewed, though that probably isn't saying much. With a discography as vast as Robin Storey's, odds are good you're getting variety aplenty, never knowing quite what you'll get with each project. It's half the fun!

Actually, Downgliding has some similarities to another Rapoon album I've covered, Psi-Transient, in that they both have elements of modern classical – pianos, plucking strings, and the like. However, whereas Psi-Transient fed such music through Robin's industrial grinder, Downgliding plays things mostly straight, which makes sense for a record out on Carpe Sonum Novum. Can't see off-putting noisy assaults meshing well with RCO's Radical Chill Out, yo'.

The fanciest effects we get are offered in the titular opener Travelling Under. The longest track at eleven minutes long, Robin layers minimalist drones in reverse delay, crafting a mood that, while not eerie or uneasy, certainly airs on the side of cryptic. Follow-up Ocean's Pull uses plucking synths while scaling back the reverse delay effects some, and An Edge Of Blue drenches piano and pads tones in them. Most of the remaining tracks flit between drone tones, plucking synths and grand piano pieces (well, about as grand as Pro-Tools pianos can sound, of which Robin admits to in the liner notes ...and are remarkably grand indeed), many utilizing reverse delay in some capacity.

As for a theme linking all these pieces together, let's see if you can glean one from these track titles: A Weight Of Worlds. Ahab's Odyssey. Encircled. Voyage Fall. The Siren's Eyes. Washed Ashore In Alabaster. Yeah, there's a sense of traversing about the bounding main, and with the modern classical approach to it all, a surprisingly 'high art' vibe for a Rapoon album. It's probably a strained comparison, but I'm most reminded of Harold Budd and Brian Eno's The Pearl, another album I had significant 'marine' feels for. If it was performed with a lot of reverb delay, anyway.

Motionfield - Luftrum

Carpe Sonum Records: 2015

Then suddenly, Motionfield. Without listening to anything more than a few snippets, I now have four of his albums within my CD collection. Yet I still can't be bothered springing for even one Orbital record, darn it all.

Is Petter Friberg's project some revelatory new talent lighting the ambient world up? A dope underground prodigy only a select in-the-know are keeping to themselves? Ask some folks, and I'm sure they'd say that, but I cannot front. The reason I've gotten four Motionfield albums before even listening to one is because they're being released on labels like Neotantra and ...txt. You know, those prints that print such limited runs of CDs, they sell out fast, so you gotta' get in while the gettin's good, b'gar. Still, I'm fairly certain they'll turn out good. Fairly certain...

Motionfield did kinda'-sorta' pop up out of nowhere though. He spent much of the '00s releasing and self-releasing music on various ambient net labels, even getting a CD release out on the short-lived Somnia print. Eventually he landed a deal with Carpe Sonum Records, this particular Luftrum the result. Ah, so he was undoubtedly a contributor to that label's immense, indispensable Pete Namlook tribute box-set Die Welt Ist Klang, helping him gain a larger presence within the contemporary ambient world? Nope! Surprisingly, Motionfield came into the Carpe Sonum family the old fashioned way (if the old fashioned way is luck and pluck), Luftrum essentially a debut. Or re-debut, if you'd been following his career prior. Given that he's since appeared on all the Very Important modern ambient techno labels, I'd say it was a very successful (re)debut indeed.

And I'll give Petter this: he definitely has a unique sound. Luftrum doesn't waste time getting things going, the first track (they're all eponymous) instantly hitting you with a filtered, sweeping backing pad that sounds like ancient machinery breathing, all the while a simple, crisp trip-hop beat plays. I almost want to make a Boards Of Canada comparison, but the more I listen, the less apt it sounds. It's not really dubby either, at least in the traditional warm way ambient dub goes, yet just as relaxing. A Moogy jingle joins later, and if you don't want to find yourself swaying in a summer breeze, dozing in a hammock, I guess this just ain't the music for you.

The album carries on with subdued twee melodies, sparse field recordings, floaty radio sampling, gentle pastoral chill, subtle glitchy sounds, and all that good stuff. In fact, there's almost too much spacious downtime on Luftrum, which makes sense given the title, but does leave one's attention drifting at times. And I can't say Luftrum 8's attempt at a more rhythmic tension builder is effective at shaking things up, that whirring pad and clicky glitch comparatively annoying compared to the album's general tranquility. Knocked me out of some pleasant dozes, it did.

It that's the extent of my quibbles, however, then I can't wait to hear my remaining stockpiled Motionfield albums.

Red Fog - Buried On Vanth

Reverse Alignment: 2015

I've had this album for a couple years now, and it still vexes me. Because there is no trace of the title on the cover art, I keep thinking the album's called Red Fog. Which is weird for something that appears to be cosmic drone, but dark ambient's gone to plenty of strange spaces. After some coaxing though, I remember that the artist's name is Red Fog, and this is his album Buried In Fog. No, that's not right. I mean, it'd be the completely logical assumption, but doesn't make sense since this is clearly something with a cosmic lean. Ah, it's Vanth Red Fog is buried in. Uh, what does that mean? Like, is 'vanth' some sort of state of mind? Oops, my brain still hasn't figured it out yet. It's Buried On Vanth, as in a place. Gosh, is that some made up planet within a larger Red Fog lore, where Enceledus' southern pole is serving as a stand-in? Maybe I should Wiki this...

Ah, Vanth is an actual place, a moon to the trans-Neptunian object known as Orcus. Huh, I didn't even know such a Kuiper belt dwarf existed. My attention is always drawn to the famous ones (Pluto, Eris, Sedna) and the funny-named ones (Makemake, Gonggong, Quaoar, 2006 HJ). It does have a unique resonance with Neptune's orbit, and essentially sits opposite of Pluto in its solar orbit, giving it a nickname of 'anti-Pluto'. Fascinating stuff, and I can see why Red Fog would find inspiration in dark ambient drone set in such a remote, obscure plot of frozen wasteland.

Okay, enough of the astronomy course. A cursory search didn't reveal much about who Red Fog is, but he/she/they have been active this past decade with various digital items out on DNA Production, aReW recordings and, ooh, Arecibo Records. Most of Red Fog's material comes with cover art that's quite red indeed, save a couple wintery items and... a Neon Room? Well, can't say the project isn't diverse in its dark drone concepts.

But yes, this is very much a pure drone outing, with tracks at double-digits in length slowly evolving with open spaces and minute sounds. For something that claims to be 'buried', I didn't get a sense of claustrophobia with these pieces, but it sure was difficult making out details from the near-total lack of light. It does feel like you're being kept in cryo-stasis, patiently waiting for the great thaw to awaken you from your slumber, an almost calming effect upon your psyche.

Then, in the final track Wired Through Spectral Tranquility, a jolt of electricity knocks you out of your slumber. It's not quite enough to stir you to full consciousness again, as the piece ebbs back into subdued, minimalist dronescape, but you can't help but notice a slowly escalating tension to the sounds you hear. Suddenly, a whining sound like a starship reactor pierces the murk, then silence once more. Aww, I forgot to wave as it passed by.

B12 - Bokide 325

Soma Quality Recordings: 2015

Steve Rutter and Michael Golding gained a decent amount of prestige with their B12 alias back in the '90s, so the story goes. Before that decade ended though, their partnership with Warp Records ended, and seemingly too did the project. Nearly ten years after their final record, however, the duo re-emerged with a new album on their own label, plus a bevy of archive material. Guess someone was paying attention to FSOL's marketing strategy. In any case, it looked like the B12 saga was primed to carry on into the '10s. Except it didn't, Last Days Of Silence instead serving as a cap on their careers, the duo going quiet once more.

Except that's obviously not the whole story, since I've talked up B12 and Steve Rutter's continued exploits quite a bit on this blog. I bring all this up only to put into context where this particular EP stands, as the re-relaunch of the B12 brand, appearing on a totally different label. Oh yes, we're in the 'wandering label' years with Steve Rutter, before he got FireScope off the ground. I mentioned in the Transient Life review that this may have been a means of shopping B12 around after being absent from the techno scene again, but whatever the case, I find it fascinating that his first port of call ended up being on Soma Quality Recordings.

The label that Slam built were no strangers to techno, but vintage 'intelligent techno'? Aside from their signing of The Black Dog, not so much. As Soma was never shy from hitching its wagon to whatever trends were happening in the genre, they were fully committed to the purveying bang-on Berghain style by the time B12 entered their sphere. Was there room for a little slice of pure Detroitism in their catalogue then?

I don't think it even matters, because Bokide 325 is downright minimalist for a B12 outing. I don't mean 'minimal techno', for the classic sci-fi bleeps and IDM bloops are present, just performed in a chill, unassuming way, as though soundtracking the lonely traverses of interstellar flight. Not the usual fare from what folks familiar with B12 then, much less Soma's typical output at the time. Would have made more sense on De:tuned than Transient Life, is what I'm saying. But hey, at least Soma could claim to have had another Artificial Intelligence alum on its roster.

Particulars, then. Into The Void is an aptly named opener, lonesome, mysterious pings echoing through the emptiness before a simple electro beat and ominous synths join in. Descension gets a little busier in the rhythm department, but maintains the general mood and minimalist songcraft. Unsound Mind adds a little acid action, and closer Terra Incognita strips things right back to mysterious pads, spare beats, and subtle bleeps. All said, Bokide 325 is an interesting little EP of dark space electro from B12, but hardly the sort of dancefloor weapons Soma was churning out. A strange addition to Slam's label, all said.

Dan Terminus - The Wrath Of Code

Blood Music: 2015

I think this catches me up with the extent of Blood Music's dive into synthwave. That is, of artists on the roster, not so much everything of the genre the label's released. I'm fairly certain artists like Odium, Wolvhammer, Megaton Leviathan, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, or Rïcïnn don't fall under the retro '80s continuum. Hm, maybe that Toby Driver though? No, no, stay focused! Dan Terminus is the last of them, for now. He is the last!

Though it's easy enough tying this chap in with the same branch of French darksynthers as Perturbator, Dan Terminus actually got his start with Werkstatt Recordings. Ah, so he came in along with GosT, then. That album, The Darkest Benthic Division, had a rather unique concept in the synthwave pantheon going for it, something of an aquatic tech-noir (do androids dream of electronic manatees?). That same year, he also self-released an album called Stratospheric Cannon Symphony, featuring cover art reminding me of the final boss of Final Fantasy X-2. You know, the one that's playing a giant pipe organ mega-gun weapon? In the game where your characters are three women? No phallic symbolism there, I swear!

Clearly, Dan Terminus approaches synthwave from a slightly different angle than his peers. I mean, just look at that cover art! I think there might be robots, or some cybernetic hybrid alien forms. Where are the vector grids though? The '80s fashions? The cyberpunk fetishism? Then again, Blood Music does eschew cliches, so I guess this tracks. Get a little Galaxy Of Terror vibe from this anyhow, and that's pure '80s schlock!

Seriously though, what I mean is this music isn't like most synthwave I've heard, in that for as much as I like the genre, it tends to be incredibly singular in its choice of actual synth ware. And for good reason, the whole point sounding as much like music that could only have been made in the '80s, with the limited sounds from the hardware of the day. Now obviously a lot of synthwavers cheat – I mean, no synth from that decade sounds as thrashy as Perturbator's – but they generally stick to the formula.

Not so with The Wrath Of Code, all manner of unique sounding sounds coming fast and furious in each track. Yeah, basic darksynth grit is still there, but dig those weird distorted tones in Death By Distortion! Or the retro opera-pads in Grim. Or the chiptune tweaks in Restless Destroyer. Or the acid in Avalanche. Or the pure Mororder thump of Pegasus Pro Ultra Fusion. Dan Terminus throws a lot of different sounds into his tracks, keeping everything fresh throughout the album.

Which is all awesome in of itself, but when you compare it to his previous two albums, which were rather stock synthwave outings, it's an astounding leap in songcraft. It's like, having the chance to strut his stuff with a bigger label, Dan Terminus did all he could to make a solid impression. I'd say he succeeded there.

La Luz - Weirdo Shrine

Hardly Art: 2015

Just how '60s retro did La Luz intend to initially go anyway? For sure you had the dreamy, psychedelic pop overtures and the surf rock nods, but the band's debut album didn't completely sell you on being there, in the era of mini-skirts and beehive hairdos. Which is understandable, La Luz undoubtedly concerned they'd seem more of a gimmick if they went all The B-52's with their presentation. They were already battling assumptions being an all-girl band to begin with. The indie rock scene is already a difficult one to crack with that feature over-hanging, so no need to complicating matters with pageantry. Get in, establish your stylee, then expand if the results turn successful.

I guess that's why I feel like La Luz' sophomore effort, Weirdo Shrine, hits so many similar beats as their debut, It's Alive, but does it all better. These gals are more assured of what their music can be, tighter as a unit, fully embracing the dream-surf rock jams such that they sound more attuned to the decade they're drawing influence from. It's to such a point that they even included chintzy 3-D glasses into the package, with art that pops at you from the second dimension! Well, kinda'. I don't think these glasses fit my face too good, seemingly made for petite ladies. Like, the little doggo figurine in the assemblage of knickknacks forming the inlay's weirdo shrine looks well removed from the pile, but not much else. To say nothing of the lack of depth from the hands playing cat's cradle on the cover. Maybe it works better with the larger vinyl canvas.

Anyhow, Weirdo Shrine opens with the dream pop of Sleep Till They Die as felt being sunkissed by California shores, then kicks out the surf jam right after with You Disappear. Okay, not a 'pure' surf jam, since this is still an actual song with actual lyrics and stuff, but its hard not to feel the waves beneath your plank of fibreglass as the splashy guitar reverb hits when it kicks off. And speaking of reverb, is it just me, or do the vocals sound more airy as well? Like, everything just has a richer texture about it, my ears breathing in the resonance as guitars and drums and organs sound both up front and distant as a canyon's walls.

It feels weird(o) to say this next: I'm not sure if there's anything else I can say about Weirdo Shrine. Detail all eleven tracks by track? So, Don't Wanna Be Anywhere does that Khruangbin loungey thing. I Can't Speak and I'll Be True slow things down, while I Wanna Be Alone and the titular song pep things up. Hey Papi and Oranges are the token instrumentals, while True Love Knows is the sort of ballad you can imagine swaying back and forth with your sweetie in your arms, as the malt shop nears closing. Mush, but eh, I'm sure I'll be able to relate again, one of these days.

Vector Lovers - Solstice EP

self released: 2015

So this EP's taken on a bit more poignancy, now that I know what Martin Wheeler was going through around the time of its release. When I first spotted all these self-released Bandcamp singles, I just assumed it was a trickle of items while other things ate up his time. Boy was I ever right, just not in a way I ever suspected. Still, game development takes time, especially when essentially doing it all on your own. But if some Vector Lovers folks weren't keeping tabs on Mr. Wheeler's other ventures (*cough*), the occasional Bandcamp EP would do in a pinch. I mean, no sense carrying on with Soma Quality Recordings if an app for personal self-promotion is available.

If the timeline is accurate, this Solstice EP was the first of a yearly run of EPs that's more or less carried on to this day. I can't imagine it gaining any sort of attention at the time of its release, the market on Vector Lovers singles all but dried up by that point. There was a lone vinyl with Soma in 2013 supporting iPhonica, plus an MP3 digi-single, but aside from that, the fruitful year of 2008 was the last time Martin contributed much to the EP market. Folks just weren't looking for Vector Lovers records anymore, is what I'm saying, so it's no surprise to me that this one wasn't even on the Discogs database yet. Excuse me while I do my duty for The Lord That Knows all now.

Okay, that's sorted. So what else can I blag about before getting into this EP? Well, it was apparently made solely on an iPhone, using some softwear called NanoStudio. That's kinda' cool, and fits with the whole 'iPhonica' theme Martin's music was all about prior to those years. I wonder if these were done as a lark during those sessions, ready to be used for b-side consideration, or just on his spare time while getting his game developer muse on. Either wouldn't surprise me.

I'm dallying again, mainly because I feel like I've said just about all I can say regarding Vector Lovers music. Unless there's something truly unique in the release I'm covering, I'll just be reiterating points I've previously covered. Solstice EP sounds about as typical a tiny collection of Vector Lovers tracks as there can be, which is great if you can't get enough of his melancholy electro, which I can't!

So key differences between tracks then. Almost Human does the aforementioned 'melancholy electro', while Glacial treads more the sentimental ambient-pop route, if that's any way to describe a tune. The titular track is more along his tech-house lane, with beats that softly pitter-patter and crispy-crunch along with a heart-tugging melody. Okay, it's a little 8th notey, but at least it's not McProggy in the process. Crestfallen carries on the Almost Human vibe, with a moody lead-in, followed upon a tender melody and electro rhythms. How much more vintage V-L can one get?

Ralf Hildenbeutel - Moods

Rebecca & Nathan: 2015

I've said it in the past, but it never hurts to say it again: Ralf Hildenbeutel was easily the soul of Harthouse and Eye Q. Many classic releases from the label's early years bear his musical imprint, a modern classical touch to spaced-out trance records. He was mostly a collaborator though, seldom doing much solo, and as such didn't get nearly the same amount of praise as others on the Harthouse roster. And when he did release an album or two under his own name, they were so far off the expectant path of a 'trance label', I'm not surprised few spoke of them. Well, maybe not Looking Beyond, coming out on the ambient sub-label Recycle Or Die. The modern classical Hommage À Noir on Eye Q though? Heaven forbid!

After Väth's label folded, Ralf essentially parted ways with Sven but continued doing production work for other artists and film scores. He eventually started his own label, Rebecca & Nathan, to release his own material again, which is where we find Mr. Hildenbeutel with Moods, his third album since.

So a modern classical album from one of trance music's earliest producers. I honestly should have expected this – it's not like Ralf has been tearing up clubland since the '90s. Some reason I couldn't shake the assumption that maybe, just maybe, he'd lean more into the electronic side of things. The William Orbit path, if you will. I certainly wasn't expecting something closer to the Harold Budd domain, with gentle pianos all about. Misty opens with a fair amount of reverb and echo on them ivories, a soft electro pitter-patter underneath. Beyond is more in mind of what Moods has in store, with additional cello and violin action, firmly placing things in the modern classical camps despite the sparse synths used in support. Elsewhere, Lucid switches things up a little with acoustic guitar, while Lost goes a little more abstract in its production. It's all quite lovely stuff, soft emotional weight in these pieces. It's just a shame so many of them are rather short, befitting more of arts showcases than sit-at-home listening.

Speaking of, let's talk about the two pieces that you may have heard off here, as they had videos done for them, and are quite out of sorts with the rest of Moods. Disco is a pure electronic outing, with percolating synths ebbing and flowing about. A simple idea, though the rotoscope video is pretty cool. Spark, on the other hand, lulls you in with an orchestral cue, then erupts with crunchy, glitchy beats, bleepy electronics, and symphonic swells. It's totally an odd man out, a bizarrely aggressive tune for such a generally tranquil album. I do not recommend trying to fall asleep to Moods because of it, as Spark will rudely knock you out of whatever daydream you happen to be enjoying. More of Ease please, with its side-chained rhythmic throb. Reminds me of good ol' Asura, that one does.

Congo Natty - Jungle Revolution In Dub

Big Dada Recordings: 2015

I'd like to say I got this because I've been a long-time follower of Mikail Tafari, since even his Rebel MC days. I can't front though, this being the first I've really heard anything from the Congo Natty legacy. At least, in a deliberate manner. I've likely heard some music of his over the years. A Blackstar track here, a Tribe Of Issachar cut there, a Lion Of Judah slice elsewhere. Still, I didn't get this particular album because I decided it time to do some proper look-backs on another seminal artist. Nay, I saw the words “In Dub” as a title, a Rastafarian man on the cover, and figured I was in super-safe hands hearing some proper raggae dub t'ings.

And I was right! It just wasn't in such a manner I would have expected. Heck, I never expected spotting such a release on Ninja Tune's web-store in the first place. Yeah, they've gone dancehall dubby in the past (oh hi, The Bug), but it's not their lane. Just as well, then, that this came out on offshoot Big Dada Recordings, most famous for bringing Roots Manuva to the light. I honestly haven't followed them as much – figured they were mostly a grime label, given the pedigree – but even then, hearing a ragga jungle album on there seems a tad askew. Not an “In Dub” rub of said album though!

They go all out for this record too. Lee Perry is here! Scientist is here! Mala is here! All come in to offer brief audio snippits of respect for The Music. No, really, that's all they offer here. Meanwhile, a pile of artists I'm wholly unfamiliar with do the actual remixing. I'm sure if I delved deep into the real world of dub music (or even the white-bread realm of retro dubstep), these would be recognizable names, but there's only so many seconds in the year, my friends.

Occasionally, the original jungle roots are heard in this album. Adrian Sherwood's remix of UK Allstars teases out tear-out before settling back into the easy-going rhythms of reggae dub, while Hylu and Jago do more of a stop-start thing with their go on Jungle Is I And I. For the most part though, we're in that classic, impossible-to-ruin vibe of tunes on the downbeat, the accents going on about Babylon, and the reverb in outer space.

So sounds good if you like reggae dub, but what about that other dub that has equal amounts of detractors. Yeah, there's some dubsteppy elements sprinkled about. Those dreaded mid-range wobbles appear in Young Warrior's go with London Dungeons, while DJ Madd really loves that ultra-hard STEP rhythm. Elsewhere, Mungos Hi-Fi turns in a quite drab, empty, ol' school dubstep thingy on Nu Beginingz. None of it's obnoxious though, which is the most you can hope for with these sort of sounds. Makes me all the more want to hear the album proper. A good record, for another time.

Lars Leonhard - Deep Venture

self-release: 2015

Straight off, this is definitely different. Less moody, more a sense of subtle awe and graceful beauty. Even the trademark dubby production comes off softer and inviting, not so darkly atmospheric that it sounds like you're in a fog. Which makes sense since Dark Tales From The Woods was all about that setting, whereas Deep Venture is not. Thus we can conclude that, yes, each Lars Leonhard album is distinct from one another, and the only reason they sort of blend together in my memory is due to the time-gap I have between listening to each one. And, as a result of the generally subdued nature of his songcraft, it's his sonic aesthetics that typically stick to my membranes rather than any particular rhythmic pattern or melodic hook. We scienced this up hardcore, y'ah bwoyz!

(to find out what ever it is I'm going on about with this train-of-thought, oh ye' souls of future tense, scope out my previous Lars Leonhard album review right now!)

While Deep Venture isn't about any specific thing, it does have a general theme of exploration in the most mysterious domains of our little ball of rock and water. A significant chunk of the tracks here come with titles like Bioluminescence and Photophore, plus name-drops like Vampire Squid, The Singing Opah (a warm-blooded fish), and Osedax (bone-burrowing worms that feed on whale skeletons), all creatures of the bounding main, lurking deep within unfathomable fathoms.

Not to be outdone, even technical terms like Pelagial, Hydrogen Sulfide, Negative Termal Expansion, and Trophogenic Zone all bring to mind things that occur in bodies of water. Only two track titles don't specifically tie into these themes, Northern Stargazer and Retroreflector, but they can if you tilt your head the right way. Ah, yes, looking upon a clear, dark night before sending your recording instruments deep into the darkest waters below. Lovely mood setter, that.

As befitting an album with its sights set on deep aquatic ventures, Lars' distinct dubby production feels more tranquil his other albums. There's even breathing space for his subtle melodies, which I know is a weird thing to say for a producer's who's made his lane in dub. Sometimes they get overwhelmed by the layers of sonic depth in his other works, but not so much here. It's like he wants you focused on whatever particular critter his sonic camera has focused on, no time for getting lost in one's headspace.

In fact, the music on Deep Venture feels so custom-made for video accompaniment, I'm surprised there haven't been any aqua-related YouTubes with this used as a soundtrack. It's because NASA already gobbled up a bunch of these for one of their Ultra-HD 4K vids of the sun, isn't it. Yeah, the space agency had been plucking tracks here or there from Lars, but this one's a full half-hour long, half of Deep Venture. Now when folks hear Osedax, they won't think of bone-burrowing worms, but of solar eruptions.

Various - Balance 027: Magda

Balance Records: 2015

The only reason I'm reviewing so many Balance mixes, this. Yeah, I've said I kept tabs on the series, but wasn't inspired to look back either. Magda though, I'm always on the look-out for more mixes from her, so when I heard she'd been tapped for the venerated prog and tech-house brand, you bet I double spit-taked. Ms. Chojnacka's aesthetic is so outside the traditional Balance wheel-house, it may as well be on a different planet. I suppose one could made a distant connection to Joris Voorn, in that they've both done Hawtin-esque ultra-mixes, but that's about it.

Maybe Balance felt the need for another change though, having used up just about all the prog veterans to this point. Perhaps Danny Tenaglia's heavy techno outing had the Balance staff feeling that pull (which would explain why this was followed by Stacey Pullen). Or supposedly they realized they'd never had a woman do a mix for them. With an utter dearth of prominent lady jocks within prog circles, however, they had to reach beyond the genre aisles to make amends.

So this doesn't come off like a typical Balance release, instead seemingly celebrating Magda's own history in the commercial mix domain. The cover art is like a scrapbook of her prior outings (open mouth for Fabric 49; creepy doll/mannequin from She's A Dancing Machine). As such, the music within adheres to no past trends within Balance canon, no established genres carried upon. This is a Magda set through and through, and if you only come to this series' style of prog and tech-house, you're gonna' have a bad time.

Yet I feel so hypocritical enjoying the weirdo minimal and odd-ball nu-jazz of CD1, because isn't this the sort of stuff that soured me on Agoria's set? A little, yeah, but Magda just does it better. Really, she does better what a lot of her peers do (for sure a lone bright spot during 'mnml's suffocating dominance), and its a crying shame she never got the due others received, but perhaps appearing on Balance would help endear her to a fresh audience. Or not, her quirky selections being a bit much for the prog faithful. Heck, some of the 'tunes' toward the end of CD1 were a bit much for me, and I'm usually more than willing to take the ride on whatever strange road Magda drives us on.

Anyway, CD1's traditionally the 'indulgent' set in these Balance releases, but does the clubbier CD2 deliver in any shape or form? If you like your stripped-down tech-house and acid boogie, most definitely! It's more straight-forward compared to Magda's older commercial mixes – no super-dense mash-ups of four minimal techno tracks at once, or something – but gets my shoulders shufflin' and my bottom wigglin' in my chair just the same. Once again, Ms. Chojnacka remains one of the few who delivers exactly what I like to hear in this style of music. To be fair though, it's been a very small sample size.