Paraphrasing the Soul Sonic Force and sorting through today`s releases for tunes that could have graced Alfie & Leo’s Amnesia dance-floor…

Anatolian Weapons / Endless Stream / Byrd Out 

Anatolian Weapons is back on Byrd Out, with a diverse dance floor orientated 6-track EP. Personally, I’ve come to associate the Athens-based electronic musician with a slow, dark, chugging, often acid-laced electro sound, and there are a couple of cuts here that fit that template. Endless Stream and What We Saw Tonight are both snare snapping dystopian Sci-Fi themes. Gladhouse opens with a choppy rhythm like spinning rotor blades, before introducing a powerful bass pulse. In tone it too nods toward John Carpenter-esque film scores, but the bigger influence here is Drexcyia. Its arpeggios muted, submerged rumbling creating a bubbling background for squealing synth solos and ethereal siren-like sighs. 

More Bones and Frenzy however, are energetic, fidgety house, with a much lighter vibe. Mesmerising minimalism, built from repetitive loops, bleeps and squeaks. The latter boasting a nagging synth hook. Morph Into comes in contrast again, swinging syncopated jazz cymbals against acoustic picking, woodwinds and a kinda trip hop beat. The feel is that of Red Snapper or DJ Shadow, juggling Dave Axelrod samples, performing a tribal, folk ritual. 

Le Carousel / Echo Spiegel  / PKR 

Echo Spiegel is the second new shot of disco / motorik from Phil Kieran’s Le Carousel. Propelled by a powerful post-punk funk B-line, its snares snap like whip cracks, while a droning, ringing melody rises in spirit-lifting synergy with a second, countering, dramatic synth riff. Curses contributes 2 remixes. The first dials down the original’s kosmische to focus more on the “pop”, and slowly, subtly builds into something euphoric. The second, a “Liquid Metal” version, is constructed around a collaged break. Colour coming as icy bursts of instrumentation, that are eventually joined by warmer chiming. The results more introspective, despite the rattling rhythm. Kieran, himself, then directs the track away from the dance floor with a beautiful, beatless, ambient “Psychedelic” mix. Its peaceful, pastoral modulations and oscillations – a serene stream of shimmering sequences – summons Cluster and Roedelius, before the circuitry falls away, to reveal the orchestral strings beneath.  

Death In Vegas / Live Versions / Drone

Pressed onto a new 12 are 2 live versions of tunes from Death In Vegas’ 2011 album Trans-Love Energies, recorded at a recent gig in Dalston. Lightning Bolt is atmospheric, ambient kosmische. Traversing dimensions with its tunefully twisting cosmic emissions. Coum rings, repetitive, hypnotic, hallucinogenic even. Its psychedelic, cycling synths set to skipping drum programming, recalling darker, original Balearic Beats, such as Split Second’s Flesh. Epic in feel. Dub in its detail. Like Basic Channel meets Coil. 

Eclectic Journeys / Melodies Of Love 002

Melodies Of Love is a relatively new Liverpudlian label, that may or may not be named after the much loved Pink Rhythm tune. Their second release features 4 edits of soulful obscurities care of Silas, proprietor of Palma de Mallorca’s Eclectic Journeys record store. Blue Loving is smooth, slinky jazz-funk boogie. Seamlessly taken apart and stitched back together this could shimmy alongside stuff such as Kim Yaffa’s Once Bitten. Similarly, Good To Me is woodwind intro’d and solo’d disco, romanced and serenaded by a wordless, warbling scat vocal. The drum machine and key driven Missing You is more cosmic. Like a softer, jazzier shake of Anna’s Systems Breaking Down. Finally, C’Est Magnifique presents a funkier, chunkier chug. Its beat bolstered by hand claps and foot stamps, with a big band p-funk vibe and brass blasts worthy of Lester Bowie’s Defunkt. 

Happy Mondays / Hallelujah (Daniel Avery Remix) / London

As part of a remix package produced to help promote a compilation of Happy Mondays’ Factory singles, Daniel Avery has overhauled their 1989 hit Hallelujah. Setting the OG’s gospel shouts, and the chanting monks from Oakenfold & Weatherall’s remix, to block-rocking beats (1). Mark Day’s fretwork throwing out angular arcs, before Avery drops the piano. The B-line growls, and Mr. Ryder aka “X” is still menacing. Flashing me, personally, back to dodgy deals done in the dark corners of east end clubs. Back when Balearic was dangerous and exciting. 

(1) Anyone remember the Chemical Brothers-esque Deadstock remix?

LLL / Hellinn / Star Creature

Helsinki-based duo LLL released a 45 earlier in the year, that disappeared practically overnight. The A-side has now been repressed on a 12, together with 3 new tracks. That original proverbial hot cake, or hot disco biscuit, was a number titled State Chumps. Building from an electro / freestyle beat it brings on board a boisterous James “Jack Rabbit” Martin B-line and TB-303. Pumping, pummelling like a more polished Paranoid London. Gaslight District is also modelled on old school Chicago house. In this case like Jungle Wonz or Fingers Inc. meets Marcus Mixx. Its rumbling bass and retro-not-retro rhythmic programming summoning a deep, dark, druggy vibe. Topped off with trance-y bleeps. Midi Life Crisis is a murkier, more modern production. Teeth is an epic, classic, drum machine workout. 

PBR Streetgang / V.V.P.V / Kurtz

Leeds’ PBR Streetgang have a new track out, in 3 different mixes. The first is a pacy hybrid of Italo, house, and EBM, packing a pumping B-line and clanking, metallic percussion. Its steely marimba-like melody surrounded by flickering, phased detail. A Dusty Acid mix sets out at a groovy, hi-energy gallop. The titular TB-303 starting as sparse squelches but eventually generating an energy that’s very Jack Frost’s Shout. Das Komplex then delivers a barmy dance floor finale. His drums a little more disco, but then dropping dramatic, stabbing rave keys. 

Suddi Raval  / Slo-Mo Acid Part 1 / DSPPR

Manchester-based musician Suddi Raval has been releasing music since the late 80s, when he was a member of rave favourites Together. Owning up to a long-standing, on-going obsession with Roland’s TB-303 (2), he recently produced an EP of “Slo-Mo Acid” for Chris Coco’s DSPPR. A set of downtempo workouts that sonically slot right alongside Om Unit’s Acid Dub Studies, but rocking pitched-down house 4 / 4s rather than skanking. The 4 tracks are named after the elements. Water is cinematic electro. Shuffling slightly sinister. Recalling a John Carpenter Sci-Fi score. Cymbals sound like stretched aerosol sprays, and there are tons of funky twists and turns of the knobs on that famous little silver box. The kicks might not be fast, but they’re big, and the whole EP is far, far less chilled than the imprint’s usual gear.

(2) Check Raval’s Bandcamp page for all sorts of cool acid paraphernalia. 

Saidera / Miscigenação / Ceci Discos

Written and recorded between Rio, New York and California’s Half Moon Bay Saidera’s new single, Miscigenação, is a warm, summery, sunny synergy of tumbling timbales, 6-string strumming, Portuguese vocals and a ping-ponging popcorn synth melody. Sonically very similar to Music For Dreams’ Copenema. A stripped back dub, using only treated snippets of the OG, is showered with sound effects and has its keys and digital B-line set to “skank”. Jacques Renault then hands over a heavy 4 / 4-ed house version, while Diogo Strausz delivers a broken beat, jazz piano-led rumba / samba.

Strange Fruit / Iridescent / Gentle Tuesday Recordings

Iridescent is the first track to be premiered by Indonesian 5-piece Strange Fruit. Picked from a forthcoming package, titled Drips, which features remixes from Tom Furse and Sean Johnston, the song smartly showcases the band’s brilliant blend of electronic pop and indie guitar rock. Powered by drum machines and a bouncing bass-line, its rhythmic riffing, bleeping backing and ethereal vocals hit like William Orbit-produced shoegaze, with a TB-303 taking the lead in its second half.

Jonathan Kusuma’s Hypnodubmix pushes the tempo up into banging techno / house territory. Kusuma slicing, dicing and gating elements of the original while constantly filtering the kick. Subjecting the voices to increasingly trippy treatments.

Woodleigh Research Facility / Spiralling Down / Facility 5

Woodleigh Research Facility’s latest published piece of sonic experimentation is way more organic than their regular output. The only hangover from WRF’s signature electro sound are snares that shake / vibrate like tightly coiled springs being struck. The rhythm, instead, rides on funky congas and a rhumba-like, jazzy contrabass rumble. A shape-shifting voice repeating the track’s title, Spiralling Down, as it travels on a 23-minute journey through an evolving terrain of muted melodica, strings and introspection-inducing Detroit techno touches. Laser blasts and robotic warnings marking the mid-way point, before things tilt more toward classic Chicago house. High-hats hissing, riffs switching, alternating between “Move Your Body” keys and fractured, fucked with, Bam Bam / “Where’s Your Child?” Acid.