Fragile X
The Butterfly Effect Bricolage Records TBR: 31st May Wandering through the lanes of Glasgow while musing on the finer side of mathematics brought Bricolage to chaos theory. Fragile X runs the show, and finding the time to create something of depth and magnitude is an astonishing achievement. Where does this guy get his energy from? We'll likely never know, but one thing for certain is that The Butterfly Effect has been sculpted from some serious philosophy. When considering the mathematical nature of the universe, the particular model so far described allows for subtle shifts in sequence leading to massive changes further down the line. Who are we to know what our actions result in when considering the length and breadth of time? The Butterfly Effect examines this principle and concept with sonic clarity, designed and mastered by Fragile X. Like the words of a popular sermon, we're given food for thought and music to our ears. The album begins with digital drums and cymbal crashes which reverberate into every corner. The build-up allows for a sonic pulsing that becomes bedding for a synthesiser tone that drones with illuminated timbre. Swirling and revolving notes join in, bringing a swoop of digital bliss which glistens across the crunching and forward moving rhythm. The percussion evolves along with the music, although the tempo remains stable, soon everything has changed. Deep and underground rumblings match with touchy drums that churn with a rhythm on either side of our head. Soon this is joined by a trill on the keys which spans the vast distances between the sonic entities. Initial Conditions (0.506) is a brilliant opener, a track that mutates and shapes on its way to the rest of the album. Next is Chaos Theory. It starts with staggering drums that fizz with distortion while a tubular synth tone spirals out of control alongside. The rhythm picks up pace and the drums appear to double up which creates a surge of high energy and piercing thrashing as electronic drum sounds rampage in a uniform industrial fury. Undertones creep through the white-water, brief intermissions at first but soon an evocative and sky-facing melody breaks through. While the passion in the drums brings a fire and crackling heat, the tune that emerges from the embers is delicate and enchanting. The double bladed edge to this track has two reasons to thoroughly enjoy it. While drifting through cosmic open expanses, the continual pulsations of stellar energy brush over us like a blizzard of photons. Heavy drum and bass feels mix with ambient techno-drone to bring on a unique and beautifully disturbing composition. Third comes a ferocious strike on synth drums, a tonal percussion surges with electronic power. Rhythm projects through on a deep and tribal edge while mechanical devices scrunch together in collisions of engineering. A bass line builds, jittery and frantic, and it assists a new level of drums that sit on the top layer like ornaments. Their energy and sustenance brings a new dimension to the piece. Breathy sounds start to swell within the tightly knotted progression, and these give way to even more heavy depth-bass which reaches in and pulls us towards the heart of the track. Synthetic blips and digital notes continue to pluck and pip like artificial bells. Strange Attractor then shifts. A new drumming element replaces the heavy duty welding of percussion to allow a smooth transition into a more dreamy yet still high energy nuance. This reduces further still into a minimal solo on one of the synths. Arpeggio and rhythm build and gradually pull everything back up to speed. The build up is well worth the break down. Fractal Dust comes next. With this, intricate and intelligent drums begin to vocalise in energetic bursts. What could be the cheeping of birds flutters in from angles unknown before more drums add another level to the mix. Catchy rhythms break into rotating clockwork motions as warbling synths swoop in on loose and glistening boundaries. A soft and flavoursome entry for the hard-nosed percussion to share the space with, we're given another dualistic view on the world built by the notion of repeating patterns and minor adjustments. The entire whole is built from one element, and in our human world each element is given a degree of choice. The social fractal then is dependent on not just one factor but infinite factors which all follow the same basic rules. Is this what the music is trying to tell us? What is the constant principle in the social equation, is there one to find? The trigonometric parallax between trends sounds like electronica. This is followed by the title track. A dreamy and free-flowing melody sprinkles its spices across the arena while clicking and reverberating rhythms sneak up behind. We're drawn in slowly on organic and wooden drums which roll and chant in natural clarity. Buzzing sounds and electronic mayhem can be heard swelling in the distant background as another wave on sonic illumination shines in. Like orbs of self-contained energy, the glowing sonics float around the scenery to examine the lines of drumming that belt the hills. The Butterfly Effect does take note of the splendid fragility of the butterfly, and although it undergoes a vast transformation is still vulnerable and priceless. Every action in this universe then must be treated with the same care as if it were a butterfly. That's what I think, anyway. The album closes with Phase System (0.506127). The extra digits on the decimal point perhaps refers to some mathematical principle involved with chaos theory. Find out more about that here. After-all, when something as vital as an actual amount is neglected then the effects will always be present until it's balanced out again. A surging and slow moving bass builds behind emotional drums which chunter with a sombre energy. Breathing paces out the track in wistful and thought-provoking loops which gather and fold in various tangents. The vapours fade into ether to reveal a clicking energy that holds on for life. As the stalwart and determined magnetism holds while many things crumble around it, new and vibrant additions find their way in. Bass and synth strike sudden and floating compositions of simplicity and poignancy. This slower and more shoe-gazing side to Fragile X shows us a more tender side to the up-front and dynamic energy of the previous instalments. The Butterfly Effect by Fragile X creates all manner of mental corridors to explore with the soundtrack of truly unique and attention grabbing electronic music. 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Various Artists
Digital Kabar InFiné Records TBR: 21st June Island life from the Indian Ocean inspires eighteen tracks as a soundtrack to Réunion. This tiny rain-forested province has a rich history. Settled by slaves en-route from Madagascar, India, and Mozambique hundreds of years ago, still administered by the French, and with a huge ocean of local-lore and stories, so many genuine themes are represented by their music. InFiné have been running musical events at Réunion since the 1980s, highlighting the Island's skill base from their hub and studio. Tourism aside, this record is to be available worldwide so we can all sample the good vibes coming from this part of the world. Famous for the Les Electropicales music festival, electronic music and folk fusion has made a real impact on this community of creatives. Patrick Manent is first up on this mammoth release. This Jako Maron remix of Kabaré Atèr begins with a sampled vocal set on repeat. It forms a rhythm that's matched by metallic sounding drums. Free-flowing vocals then flow out across the foundation, a canon of voices builds a surge of human energy. The progression builds, each new wave allows the music to grow and evolve gently. Digital bass and thumping drums give an upbeat sensation while happy free melodies fly like kites in the wide open sky. Boogzbrown is next with Timbila. It gradually pulls itself together with handclaps and distant vocals and hollers. Growling bass surges underneath in melodic phrases of rhythm while many percussive sounds rain down like pattering rain. Pulsations and tone combine to break each wave over rolling and evolving loops. This is replaced by an effected voice making vocal sounds through a distortion. Then an ethnic pipe instrument begins to play a seductive melody. Reminiscent of snake-charming, drums with hypnotic melodies in their strikes combine with chanting vocals and strange sounds. Natural drumming and looped effects combine with tribal and buzzing vocal lines which all form a neat parcel in the middle of the room. This sprouts wings with new elements of melody and drone which fulfils a much larger space of sound. Loya's Malibar Dance is a spiritual and shamanic offering. More voices call out from the hills in reply. These mix with housey rhythms and female chants. Shakers add a vibrant colour to the music before a free form vocal begins singing a joyous melody. Taps on tubes give a wholesome presence to the drumming, a new angle to the kick drum which is low in the mix. Oh Africa by Alex Barck featuring Christine Salem is a bluesy jazzy number, fused with tribal beats and emotive sounds. Digital hum and hand drums open for Jako Maron's Batbaté Maloya. It's a smooth and chilled number that breaks the mood for a pause and minimal episode. Light-taps and plucks gather in repeating lines which sway from side to side with the addition of effect. Droning sounds form underneath and push through like spring flowers of tone. Rich and evocative drumming gives this track a personality to listen to, less is more when the individual parts have so much character. Funky vocals come next, powerful and tribal chants bring a fusion of feels. Drums come in with heavy pounding beats, 2 step rhythms bring on an upbeat and enjoyable feel. Organ sounds play in jazzy chord strikes in all the right places while the percussion gradually evolves into churning layers of revolving beats. Gardien Volcan by Sheitan Brothers as a hymn to the volcano reminds us of the ferocity of the Earth. Explosive and full of energy, this dancing number just keeps going, gaining strength at each bar. Digital melody and complex beats come after, their spread out in a spacious arena of sound while a jazzy warmed up bass plucks a neat melody. Then wavering tones appear in the sky like twinkling stars before a vocal swills in to finish the recipe. Ti Fock's Kom Lé Long (Do Moon's Edit) is a swinging vocal number with driving beats and vibrant looped melodics. Additions of sound keep gathering momentum for the piece as the song progresses and shifts in verses that stand out and shine. Boogzbrown is back and this time there's Cubenx alongside to bring us Butcha. Frantic hand drums play rolling rhythms while melodic instruments shrill and tight give an air of eerie charm more percussion is found soon after, and then again, repeating phrases and loops. Then it breaks down, a sludgy foot-step percussion brings out a muddy and wet feel while forest sounds and drums give a wholesome warmth. This is an adventure of a track through some thick growing bush. There's plenty to be found lurking in every corridor of sound. Next, a stringed instrument plucks a frantic melody on one note while a spoken word poet brings on lines full of passion. Beats emerge from the shadows to allow the track to become music while the chaotic meld of underscore continues with its fiery pace. Slow moving percussion with insurgent sounds that carry subtle havoc in their composition gives Mazigador a dualistic edge. Force Indégen and Jako Maron are the two minds behind this sonic joining of intentions. Ré-Union is next, and it's by L'abuse. It begins with a soft natural theme, which revolving sonics giving a synthetic edge to the organics. A deep kick bass pierces the forest-floor with stepping pace and brings on a sense of urgency to the mix. Minimal drones in the mid-range glide across like large butterflies, each wing-beat another lick of the drum. Then, another rhythm is injected into the flow, snares on an off-beat double up the pace and reveal a marching energy. Smooth and narrow, yet full of vibrancy and colour, this track settles us down in a secluded spot. Next is a slow, reverberating bass tone. It coils out across empty floor-space before an ethnic instrument which could be a sitar plucks an individual note. This repeating phrase is joined by chatty drums which slosh and tinkle across the growing sonic cosmos. A rock element in the drum beat gives an energy of forward while the droning ambi-ethnic undertone continues its cushioning journey of sound. New digi-sounds swing in from the sidelines, these portray a sunny melody in scratchy and vibrational jostles of pitch. Although short, Bilimbi by Agnesca is a rich and solid piece of music. Could be the single. Maya Camity for the twelve track. It's called Pandyé (Loya Remix) and begins with more tribal drumming. Multiple tones and paces combine to produce a wall of percussion. It's high and wide but there's room for smothering tones which trickle from the spaces between the brick. Then, a female singer begins to spill her soul in a culturally moving melody. Modern feels and ancient foundations allow a bridge of culture in one wave of the regal hand. Mahavel (South Africa Dub Studio) by Zong follows on. With a classical drum-kit and funky bass, a nightclub suave glistens from the bars. Cabaret style singing in French phonics pours over like brandy over pudding. Someone lights it, and as the flames rise and curdle, the scents and aromas rise. The pulsations in the music and the brief secluded melodies behind the sultry vocals truly bring on a sense of flame and translucency. Echoes and reverb collapse the music into a medley of beats and tones before something emotional clears the air once more. Block Maloya from Labelle comes after, it opens with subtle tones and a plucky bass that knocks on the door. Then rolling tom drums give a heady and landscape sensation to the music. Dappled sonic tones drift around on gusts of air while the rock terrain builds and swells with every moving bar. Little fills and licks on what could be guitar add an illumination to an otherwise deep and earthy production. Psychorigid now and Militan. Empty drums and toned down hats bring a sense of introspective rhythm before squelchy bass rumbles in with distortion and deep down reaches. A combination of high and low tones meet in the dirty middle with sonic blips and beeps. These warble across uneven surfaces while the persistent percussion keeps everything on the line. As the bumps in the road present in curious effects and twinges on the harmonics of the piece, an unnerving sense greets compassion as the style works to form a holistic message. Rhythm predominates while strange and sometimes awkward melody gives us a distinctive and unique flavour. This pans out into Salem Tradition who bring us Kabaré (Alma Negra Rework). This has tribal pulses and beats with chunky vocals which rhythmically sit on top as if thrones of sound. Ethnic origins with up-to-date and universal drumming in hand once more unifies these two distinct frequencies of creativity. To finish off, a catchy drum beat begins the penultimate offering. This jiggles around on a tiny plinth while extra-sensory sounds begin to churn and create noise in the sides. Like a ring of lamps illuminating a column, the track builds on foundations of minimal yet pushy composition. A synth then pulls up alongside with full and juicy chords which adds a degree of tonic to the cocktail. Lumps of lemon with congealing colours and tastes brink on the delectable in a disco-house style trample through funky beats. J-Zeus with Koloni is a basic thumbs up to the meaning of having fun. Perhaps there's something I'm missing? Kwalud ends the album with Angel Choirs. It grows in amplitude with a heartbeat style drum. A vocal speaking symbols another rhythm which lays over the top in a neat pattern. Zapping sounds in the sub-frequency also reveal a much deeper and motivational feel. Choppy beats and fluorescent melody shimmer in tranquil forest floor spaces. We truly get a feel for the Island of Réunion with this broad selection of various local talents. Each addition carries a flavour of the local spirit that carries through from track to track while the individual minds behind them add unique and tangibly enjoyable parts of their own identifiable selves. You can visit InFiné Records on their website On Facebook and Soundcloud Also, get the best price for Steam codes and support The Electro Review with the Green Man Gaming community! Thank you!
Timothy Clerkin
Unborn EP Ransom Note Records TBR: 24th May Founder of Insult To Injury Records Timothy Clerkin is set to cameo on Ransom Note for their 19th release. This four track rave firewood selection is set to bring the Clerkin to dancehalls everywhere. Set to banging and let loose on the intellectual side of Tim's personality, the end product is a run down of intelligent, deep, and highly addictive anthems to the dance. Since the days of being a member of Eskimo Twin, Timothy Clerkin's career in the hall of musical fame has been well and truly cemented. Now he's here to stick around, it's about time we got to hear something new. That time has come. With heavy hats and a thumping bass kick, the intro number starts off the party. Claps add a new layer of rhythm, an energy of approaching fun is in the air. Scratchy metallics wobble beneath as more metalwork fuses to the mix. Then, synth stabs bring on an icing of percussion that rounds off the cake. It breaks down into a funky bassline that swills and sloshes around the persistent percussion. The bassline forms a quicker motion, extra notes fill the spaces in the progression of tones. New elements of rhythm in the shape of clangy and snappy springs turns over the stir-fry, bringing fresh colours to the surface. Title track Unborn throws all the beats at us from every direction, it makes no excuses and expects none from us. Get up and move! Primary Function begins with what sounds like a mangled cassette playing something that used to sound really great. It mutates into warped sonics that melt into something that really does sound good almost straight away. Then, new instruments fill the cosmos with organic feels and human touches. It slowly opens like a morning flower, reminiscent of Boards Of Canada's later work, a darkness and eerie edge glistens like mystical light over the natural surroundings. There is no fear however, just a sense of how we are merely a petal on the wind in comparison to the mechanics of the universe. Conscious and creepy, with a twinkling fire within keeping everyone safe, it progresses into rhythmic journeying. Melody and bass combine with the astral sounding array to reveal a wonderment of sonics. Next up is a tubular digital rhythm. It bangs away on semi-organic drum skins and pipes while a wailing tone builds to bring a new melody. Upward facing pings climb a staircase in short spurts, every fourth beat is a little break. It gives a movable parts feel to the piece, one that allows us to dance in our own way. Piercing bass brings in a robotica sense to the mix, rhythm and machinery together give a flat surface before new synthesiser tones begin to paint a neat and methodical picture. Sequenced effects and melodic fills give a repeating element while continual shifts in how they're composed bring out many unique angles. Some Kind Of Threat is a fun and bouncy number, the title gives it a sense of edge which is masked by the fun and invigorating sonic display. Akathisia starts with in your face hot to touch synthesiser tones. They smash a bright and vibrant melody that almost blinds us before it settles down to bring a tropical inspired rhythm on slightly distorted feels. Drums play a melodious rhythm that moves up and down like waves on the sea. This too peels over to reveal a clambering and sunny filling that flows from some central core outwards in all directions. Warm and fruity, the melody pushes us into a dynamic frenzy of dance. The music from before breaks open a new chapter before revealing another edge to its highly catchy arsenal of beats and sounds. Intricate and upskilled drumming reveals a clever and highly enjoyable edge to the shiny luminescent melodics. Find Ransom Note Records on Bandcamp Soundcloud and the Ransom Note Records website. Discover Timothy Clerkin on Soundcloud and follow him on Facebook
TAKA
1610 Civil Disobedience Records TBR: 24th May This is a real-life exploration of feelings for TAKA. Exploring the grief process after the death of her father, losing a parent became the foundation for this musical masterpiece. With a triple A side and a classic remix to boot, the composition of this music couldn't be more raw and real. This is the first time Civil Disobedience have released a vinyl pressing, and it's only their 7th catalogued number, but the brand is quickly making waves across many talent pools worldwide. Polish TAKA is just one more family member to put their output on this fast rising music imprint. It begins with deep and resonant synths which could be horns. They sprinkle with digital hum to reveal their origin in electronics before a cascade of heavy bass drum rolls in. The snare fills a space where there wasn't one before, and then extra drums find everywhere else to snugly fit in. Its imploding sensations pull forward and push back as deep tones bring shaded arenas of sound among edgy and compelling melodies. Cry Cry is a dance number, without a doubt, yet it's euphoria is down-trodden and hidden behind a cloud of deep emotional thought. A release of sadness causes tensions to dispel into the rhythms and tones. The Gareth Wild remix of Cry Cry is just as good. This time it opens with heavy bass, distorted and crunchy. Cymbal strikes give a sense of light to the amplitude while pounding bassline synths bring on a sudden rhythmic melody. Two tone composition allows for a rave atmosphere while the clever and intellectual rounding and effects on all the elements allows for a rich 3D sonic picture. Forceful undertones wiggle through, a dark and gloomy sense of being underground and on your own rises from the mix. It trickles away like water into a grate before a pressurised tone brings back the frantic drumming. Subtle mixing of melody with heavy duty rhythm makes this intense and full of emotions. Third is Free Ourselves. It begins with warbles of wobbling synth like glistening sunshine through open windows. With this comes a rampant bass and shaker rhythm which once again pushes forward the dancing energy. Cymbals ride up alongside to bring their metallic voice to the combo, percussives and droning tones make up this one. Then a springy bass curls in from the underneath, it's texture spongy and loose. It spans across a few notes on the keyboard, swelling from one to the other in neat lines. It adds a whole new layer to the rhythm and gives a dimension of slower pace to the otherwise quick-stepping tempo. The final track starts with a brief pause. Synth pads shine out from the shadows with vibrant and wobbling tones. They bring on a new rhythm, funky and upbeat, yet remaining thoughtful and almost sullen. New quicker sections are added, filling the half-beats with taps and repeating cymbals. Still the breathy synthesiser tones splash in gloomy waters. Then what could be an electric guitar with heavy distortion underwater plays sliding notes along the neck. The slicing warmth of the metal sounding buzz shifts from pitch to pitch without a boundary between them. Like a talking record, the slow motion phonics project a sense of questioning wonder. The record is thick with personal sadness and a frantic energy which flits from method to method of keeping life going. Introspective and enjoyable, 1610 by TAKA is a flurry of emotionally intelligent mixes for electronic music fans and beyond. TAKA is on Soundcloud and Facebook Find Civil Disobedience Records on Bandcamp Youtube and Facebook Thanks for reading The Electro Review! Add us to your bookmarks.
Massimo Amato
Lost Sunsets Pregnant Void Records TBR: 22nd May The Electro Review is in Rome today to check out the third studio release from Massimo Amato. Recorded over three years between 2007 and 2010, this compendium of unheard material features several well-known musicians from Massimo's inner circle. With a reputation for making use of natural instruments in conjunction with analogue sound synthesisers, the hands on approach leaves us in no doubt as to the proficiency of the artist. It was at an electronic music festival where label chief Simone Gatto spotted Massimo Amato performing and offered him a slot on Pregnant Void. This is the result of the clash of design, and the two adventures compliment each other perfectly. As Amato stands on stage among dials and switches, you'll see him playing a harmonium while using children's toys as instruments. The album opens with a spaced-out vocal sample from Imi Gavin. Her voice spreads out over timeless oceans while mysterious dreamy chimes and vibrating tones seep and soothe across the waters. Intro, Time Capsule is a delicately beautiful delve into sonic enchantment. It doesn't last too long, it just builds a fascinating mood. It fades into blank for a brief moment before a plucking bass meets more cosmic synthesiser tones to create a sifting paddle through ambient screens. To Love The Love whisks us away on a dreamy and relaxed journey through a river gently chopping in the wind. An edgy melody pushes through with plucks and chimes playing in unison across a jagged formation. The black notes shimmer among the composition, giving slicing and cutting elements to the arpeggios and runs that ping-pong their emotional qualities across the spacious table. The third number opens with static and distortion. Electronic beeps make a rhythmic and shrill percussion. This is joined by a hypnotic trumpet from Massimo Berizzi. A subtle vocal sample washes across as if over an old style telephone and the whole begins to form a bubble. Strings and static shimmer in blue surroundings while the beautiful soul of the brass-wind pushes a sail on our little boat. Gazing into distances, the track invites us to close down and let the rhythm of life itself be our guide. Dreaming Of You is a soundtrack to pleasant imaginations. It delivers the goods and makes way for track four, Lightwaves. Singing synthesiser and cosmic stretches of sound draw out in droning high pitched skies. Like travelling alongside a streaming ray of light, its electromagnetic stability pushing it ever onward through the fabric of reality, we get to sonically observe the distinct character of the most elemental of substances. Lost Sunsets, the title track of this slow moving and spell-binding album, begins with ghostly drawn out synthesiser. Mellow chords, reaching reverberations, and shimmer bring on a cushioned and colourful scene. Piano tinkles like reflected starlight across ripples while the under-sound swells and subsides in neat packets. A bell tree shines from the sides as its units are struck gently in a wash of percussion. The multitonal effect like rain on the pavement, dream inspiring and relaxing sounds drift forwards and backwards as we sway in their currents. Next is Nightflower. It opens on moody and sombre tones, a mixture of instruments giving a wholesome and heavy feel to the production. Bass and electronic hums are melded together in a gloopy and emotional slow moving lava. An air of magic and mysticism hangs in the atmosphere, subtle nods towards RPG games gives this a sense of searching through shaded forest corridors. Then, a piano melody stands up from the nether and begins to explain in its own words why the cosmos crackles tonight. Next up is a smooth and silky introduction. It builds and fuzzes in amplitude and warmth before a moderately high pitched tone cuts through. Bringing with it a rhythm made of movable parts and shaking percussion, a chiming melody sunders through the massive ambience. A combination of fluffy mechanics and crunchy liquidity brings a complex array of sounds and energies which all sit equally between a captivating sonic fulcrum. Folksong, with synth work by Gigi Masin, takes us into the past while allowing the present moment to keep us neatly packaged within safety. It gently builds down in uniform steps, opening the space for something new. What could be a synthetic violin makes headway and churns out something a little more Eastern. With a heavy pull on the rotating level, and a push on the right functions, the music box reveals another chapter. More upbeat drums sprinkle a layer of glittering pebbles across the mix. Plucked metallic strings boing in small boxes with sporadic and uplifting tunes. The whole combines to build a bivouac of broken melodies and lightly positioned pieces. Blue Petals has an exotic flavour, one which takes us far away from our immediate illusions. Following from this comes I Found Love. An improvised guitar plucks chord positions across a spacious sonic from a mild synthesiser. Harmonica tones sprawl out, in a shanty of combining metallic huffs, to knit a homely and childish element to the foray. These are greeted by wandering piano notes that dance over the highest keys, before a deep and resounding male vocal reports on finding love. The blissful naivety to the notion of closing one's eyes to another's faults and flaws leaves us open to all manner of unhelpfulness. Let's hope the love is right and not misplaced. It ends on Outro, The Red Carpet. More vocals from Imi Gavin work wonders with a reverse guitar effect played in by Mario Fob. These instruments gel with the tranquil and ambient sounds of Massimo Amato as the analogue electronics fuse and transist their outputs in ever changing ways. The whole album, Lost Sunsets by Massimo Amato, is a wonderful escape into experimental and highly approachable sonic sculptures. Expect beauty, wonder, and edge to all leave their mark after listening to this a few times. Get in touch with Pregnant Void on Facebook and find their music on Bandcamp Thanks for reading The Electro Review! Did you know you can support us at no extra cost by using +/ bookmarking this handy link to eBay It!! Grazie Mille!
Eliezer
Jericho 1979 EP La dame Noir Records TBR: 17th May It's been a busy year for Eliezer, one of Tel-Aviv's most listened to artists from their vibrant electronic music scene, it's time for another release. Sporting three originals, each dripping with his trademark sound plus re-workings by other local greats, Jericho 1979 is headed straight for the club where dance and excitement rule the roost. Described as a showcase of fresh Israeli talent, Parisian La dame Noir are leaving us in no doubt of the skills on offer from this part of the world. It opens on a catchy beat, made of two types of bass drum. One of them pounds away in quick time and the other hangs for the back. A synthesiser melody breaks open the track with a yelp. Vocals from Curses bring a 1980s style moodiness to the song. Emotional inflections in the words fling us from side to side as the dancing pace keep us moving. Bauhaus is perhaps a nod to the Germanic art school making modernists out of skilled individuals. The mix evolves gracefully, each time a new element of music brings a dreamy hypnotic rhythm to the consistent percussion. Next up, tribal sounds play a percussive tune via wooden sounding drums. Tubular taps and plops like hand on potted leather create a buoyant film of sound to begin with. A chiming bell adds an eerie edge that pushes the musicality right up into the air. Digital bass sounds play in phrases made of repeating simple tunes which take it in turns with other percussive elements. Gradually the pressure of the pace grows in intensity, and a new dimension reveals itself as a vocal sample speaks in poetic lines across the shiny and complex surface. White Snow is cold in the way it carries a sense of unsure awareness, anticipation of crescendo perhaps, or just a deep sense of foreboding. Post Love starts with digital saws and staggering drum-beats. A bassy tune trickles out on the synthesiser in slow revolutions of tone. Punchy rhythmics in simple positions combine to bring on a space-age and expansive sonic arena. Exciting builds in the notes and fills allow for expectations to rise, forward facing samples surge the track forward and onward. Guitar chords on an off beat meld with astral synthesiser voices to frame vocal samples, repeating lines of foreign phonics. Everything pushes up on space as a new drum brings on a classic rock influenced beat. Snare and hat break free from the gloom and elevate the music into well-lit realms. Still, the dreamy and sullen voice muses on, casting her spell with poetry. We turn over the record to meet the three remix editions. Bauhaus featuring Curses comes first. It opens with a childish dream sound of fairgrounds being listened to underwater. Familiar chimes and melodies from our fondest playtime echo back to us through the thick and viscous fluid of time. Then, it all breaks down to straight forward beats. The vocals give the quality of organic music while electronic sounds swell and build. Slow glissando on a warmly distorted guitar brings another edge while worming synthesiser tones squiggle and squirm in the sonic sky. This Middle Sky Boom remix takes the track to experimental digital futures. Funky fast paced synthesiser notes spill out a ferocious melody in a variety of keys while a frantic bass and hat give a push to everything in the mix. The drums gather to make a huge pressure of sound that keeps the bouncing synthesiser up in the air. Floating and spinning this effervescent mix of sonics and beats brings on a happy and exciting feeling that really motivates dancing. Niv Ast's remix of White Snow pushes the hall into a driving frenzy of movement. Squelching bass tones and clamouring metalwork bring a sudden surge of drive to the album. When the vocals break free, everything seems to bubble over. The record ends on a remix of Post Love from Uriah. This has a dark and sinister opening. Edgy synthesiser bass and crackled drums creep the door ajar and allow laughter to echo through the corridor. Taking the vocals from the original and merging them with weird and broken loops, a dreamy and spiky atmosphere is knitted from the swirling depths and heady rhythms. Static and fragile projections mix with the definitive percussion adding a flavour of digital warmth. Pulsing notes and gaining drums evolve into a dancing mania full of synthetic escapism. You can find Eliezer on Facebook and Soundcloud also find La dame Noir on Facebook and Soundcloud Get the best price for STEAM game keys and support The Electro Review with the Green Man Gaming Community. Nice one!
Dervisis
Laundry Room / Yelde Trial&Error Records TBR: 10th May Since the release of his debut EP last year, Dervisis has become synonymous with experimental electronic music that cherry picks his favourite feels from across the spectrum. Drawing on diverse influences and fusing their intentions into one unique sound, touching on the leftfield yet remaining down to earth and homely, we can expect a frenzy of accessibility in a mash-up style of clothes. This new number released on Trial&Error pushes the boat out a little further than before, this time Dervisis implements big-room dance sounds within his already well-travelled ethos. It begins with Laundry Room, static and chimes create a looping beat. A melody on a unique voice splashes a flurry of notes to get our attention. Then, the bass-line hits us. Squashy plucked notes jam in a funky melody, it leaps along the blues scale like an expert gamer on the dance-pad. Vocals start, dreamy and wistful lines sing a song of poignant clarity. It reminds me of The Chemical Brothers (eBay swag), who often use famous vocalists in their productions. A middle section rolls in and lets a synthesiser do the work. Interesting compositions give us a tangent before the vocal-line returns to finish the story. Next, a catchy rhythm made of many drums overlapping each other begins the pace. It's up-beat and funky, clever percussion gives a swelling of sound which works up like a spiral into the sky. Here in the atrium, we dance in oval shapes openings while the music evolves into digital whistles and jagged beats. These grow in force, and another subtle dreamy melody on the vocals begins to wash over like a slightly open tap. Trickles of words glide over the mix in syrupy doses. The evolution of Yelde is quick paced, with every few bars another rhythm is pushed in while something from before is swept aside. A continual one two beat makes sure it's easy to dance to yet the forever shifting of the intermittent beats makes it dynamic and flowing. Third up is a remix of Laundry Room by Gramcry. Called the Fidget Mix, it begins with what sounds to be an actual laundry room. Distant water noises and squelches make me wonder if my speakers have cut out again. No, it's just a clever intro, beats and synth kick in almost straight away and the rhythm tuns up high. Uplifting melodics swell and sway like rising flags on incredibly tall poles. Beats and energy formulate a spiralling bubble of intent and dancing energy that really grabs us and makes us move. New areas of exploration emerge, the tempo remains yet angles of ascent and scenery beyond all shift before us as we hurtle through abstract sonic landscapes. Finishing off, a space-age whistle blip begins the last track. Rhythms and beats crunch in single file, each finding a nestling spot somewhere in the sounds. Modern and minimal, this experiment of poly-rhythmic digs and dives reaches far and wide in all directions. Individual placement of each drum, each piece of metalwork, each synthesiser track within a 3D stereoscope of sound has made this a percussive sculpture, decorated with glowing lights and silken scarves. The use of melody returns in the distant and effect laden vocals which spill emotive meaning all over the motoring cut. BFTT with a Gliding Slug Remix of Yelde tops off the record with intrigue and intelligence. A good 25 minutes or so, this four track release from Dervisis stands to become a landmark for ever more distant travels into excellent sounding music. Find Trial&Error Records on Bandcamp Facebook and Soundcloud |
AuthorRowan Blair Colver for the Homunculus Media Group Thanks for supporting the documentation of underground electronic sounds!
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