Review: For a couple of years a decade or so ago Visionquest was a DJ collective and label that ruled the world. In the time since it has sunk back to the shadows, regrouped and come back as another vital force in the underground. This EP brings together a wealth of real talents not least the one and only synth wizard Mathew Jonson who opens up with the artful sounds of 'These Tears.' Cesar Merveille's 'Decennium' then gets wonky with tightly coiled minimal drums overlaid with pensive chords. On the flipside 'Wonder Wheel' gets a little more eerie and trippy with hunting keys leading you down a late-night maze and 'Dirty Pathways' from Vinyl Speed Adjust layering up the deft synths and airy rhythms.
Review: The party people behind the Sheik N Beik crew kick on with another fine techno exploration here courtesy of The Josh Craig. This is our first brush with this artist but a fine one it is too with classic techno melded with new school ideas to great effect. 'Quantum Infiltration' opens up with thumping kicks and busy synth lines burrowing deep into your brain then 'Ultra Rogue Mission' has a darker and harder vibe with moody pads and ice col hi-hats. There is a sublime deepness to the dubby 'Millenniaapi' and '2099' is like the soundtrack to a post-apocalyptic disaster movie. 'Me Liga' is a mutant techno percolator for the heads.
Review: This record is named after Vedanta, an ancient philosophy based on the Vedas, the sacred scriptures of India. The music, originally composed and produced by Joseph S Joyce and later remixed by Sebastian Mullaert of Minilogue, was greatly inspired, after reading commentaries from Swami Rama Tirtha's biography "The Scientist & Mahatma" - Chapter 1 - Vedanta and The Secret of Success. Now, some nine years later, it gets served up as a remix EP. There's a dark El Choop Reconstruct, a gorgeous ambient version from Sebastian Mullaert, a minimal headscape from Van Bonn, Federson SF goes warm and dubby and then a crisp, tech-edged vibe from Paul 90 ends the EP in style.
Review: JS is an alias of James Zeiter and is also the name of his own label. This seventh transmission once again showcases his signature take on minimal, dub and techno. 'JS-07' rolls out with deep, pillow drums and well buried sub bass that slowly sweeps you up and locks you into a state of hypnosis. 'JS-07R' on the flip side is run through with slightly more warmth and light, like beams of sun piercing the surface of an ocean and catching microscopic organisms floating on the sea bed. It's a heady sound full of soul.
Brawther & Traumer - "Melted" (feat Prince Morella) (6:30)
Altitude - "At The End Of Isolation" (7:13)
Review: The Berg Audio label grows ever more vital with a second edition of their Horizon series. Like the first it is high class tech and dub for those who like to get lost at 5 am in cosy back room spaces.
Per Hammar opens things up with a fulsome dub techno roller with hi hats peeling off the flabby groove. Ada Kaleh & Jay Bliss lift their heads a little more with some dreamy but dynamic deep house and Brawther & Traumer combo for the brilliantly silky and stylish dub house cut that is 'Melted' (feat Prince Morella). Altitude closes down with the impossibly smooth and frictionless 'At The End Of Isolation.' Great stuff.
Review: These days, we're all familiar with Jan Jelinek's trademark brand of dusty, dubbed-out, jazz-sampling downtempo explorations. That wasn't the case when Loop Finding Jazz Records, his acclaimed debut album, first appeared back in 2001. It has since become an in-demand item, making this reissue more than handy. It remains a fine album; a blazed shuffle through a sonic world where dub techno, ambient, minimal house, jazz and downtempo grooves and seductive vinyl crackle merge into one intoxicating hybrid sound. It's not showy and over-the-top, but rather becalmed and subtly seductive. In other words, it's still a brilliant album and if you don't own already own a copy, you should add this to your cart sharpish.
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