Vinyl: November 2010

After a wad of digital releases you don't really think are, well, real (probably 'cos you can't actually hold the buggers in your hand or gaze in self-satisfied pride at a pressed-up product), we bit the bullet and returned to 12-inch vinyl EPs this year through my label IF?, courtesy of some far-sighted distributors in the UK and the Netherlands.

The next two are coming out later this month (November) and include Get Away From It All, a track of mine originally remixed by the great Justin Robertson (Lionrock) and which now gets sizzling, rather dirty deep bass-tech mixes from Bas Mooy and Dave Tarrida.

Bas Mooy has been prolific of late as and has released his music through Audio Assault, Planet Rhythm, Impact Mechanics, Naked Lunch and Elektrax. Dave Tarrida started up the brilliant Sativae label and has released through Tresor, Predicaments, BPitch Control and Elektrax. 

There's also a new Little Nobody track, 'Troll', immaculate artwork by Marcin Markowski, and this baby will be delivered via Triple Vision.

Meanwhile, a few days later, Prime Direct in the UK will be pressing up a more revisionist take on old school electro/techno with another Little Nobody record, The Condimental Op.


This one comes with bonus remixes by Detroit’s superb vets Aux 88 (430 West/ Submerge/ Direct Beat/ Studio !K7) and Chicago legend K. Alexi Shelby (Transmat/Studio !K7/Djax-Up-Beats/Trax/Warp/Artform).

It's already being spun, charted and is gathering steam thanks to support from Dave Clarke, Laurent Garnier, Trevor Rockcliffe, Alan Oldham, Inigo Kennedy, Kirk Degiorgio, Steve Poindexter, Jerome Baker, Mike Dehnert and Anthony Shakir.

And the record is #2 in a new LTD Edition 12-inch sampler series from IF? Records.

OK, this one is out in June 2009

With close to a century of IF? releases over the past 14 years, Hypnotic Room is proud to present a tribute collection of the more recent material from their coffers - 14 tracks, some unleashed over the past few months and others as-yet-unreleased, to celebrate 14 years of one very innovative, energetic and insightful record label.

14 tracks compiled by DJ Hi-Shock and Andrez Bergen that suitably reference 14 years of absolute madness? For sure - more, please.

Starting up proceedings here, fitting enough, is label founder Andrez Bergen, with ‘Merian Cooper‘ - which goes for the hypnotic tech-minimalism of Basic Channel. It’s a killer chill-out opener: thought-provoking, innovative and sensational.

Straight after, Japanese artist ChizQ (R&S) injects more of a funky swing into the continued chill/tech equation with absolute aplomb, then current Swedish wunderkinds, Donk Boys (Trapez) go all wonky-funk electro in sublimely cool ways on Little Nobody’s ‘Compulsion’.

Bergen returns with a remix of Romanian trip-hop hipsters, ABiS, that simply smolders in its take on the cruisy, cut-up vocal house aesthetic, like Basement Jaxx colliding with Scanner (if you can even begin to imagine that!), followed by one of Japan’s current tech masters, Takashi Watanabe (DJ Warp), expertly remixing new
Melbourne producer Alkan with a bubbling, beautifully-rendered dancefloor experience that references his own country as much as Detroit.

Pushing the acid in sublimely quirky, cool fashion is Ginza Spy with ‘Dark Pop’, a track that just begs airplay, then Schlock Tactile explores new, chilled, serene
piano tinkerings in the remix of Mumeishi’s ‘Profondo Prima‘.

Track 8 is another remix of ‘Days’ by Melbourne-based producer Ben Mill (better known as Bitch Shift, but here under the alias Chairman Of The Board). Think laid-back house accompanied by Afro-Cuban percussion; to us, it sounds like Portishead, if they were drinking Bacardi in Havana.

Ein Kleiner Schelm continues a more chilled vibe, albeit with breaks, on ‘Your Move‘, while current Scottish enfant terrible, E383, goes into more hypnotic acid terrain with ‘Radion 1′, and he’s followed up by one of Melbourne’s hottest current live acts, Enclave, with the gloriously bubbling acid-reverberations of ‘Resynd’.

At Track 12, fellow Melburnian Alkan’s track, ‘Bosphorus Breathing‘, is a stunningly deep industrial/tech debut for the young producer, promising so much more on the horizon.

The two final tracks are by Bergen in Little Nobody guise - the first an uptempo funk/breaks remix of his classic ‘Juice & Jelly‘ that’s truly ingenious; the second (and last here) a superbly meandering, cut-up disco/industrial remix of ‘Interstate 75′ that knocked us out when we first heard it - and still does several dozen spins later.

CHECK OUT SOUNDS AND BUY ONLINE FROM 6 JUNE 2009 HERE.

Accidents happen

This blog was actually a bit of an experiment, and may not be added to - if you're still vaguely interested in spite of this bland disclaimer, head on over to the Iffy Bizness blog (links to the right), which has a shade more interesting guff.

Cheers,
Andrez