komudo series vol 1

coloured vinyl

2020 repress! 747’s paleo is an essential acid collection of eight diverse tracks, with a vinyl-exclusive d side. aquaregia’s first long playing release weaves through the different faces of acid on a time travelling trip through geological history. the journey begins with warm pads enveloping lush landscapes fringing the shallow, prehistoric seas where swarms of trilobites frenetically scurry, seeking to survive and evolve. roiling subaquatic vulcanism rules the b side, a seeding ground for exotic crystals whose hexagonal points vie for space as the magma cools and the minerals speciate. we’re then taken further into the depths, where planispiral ammonoids swim in the pseudo-antigravity of the saline seas. and finally, closing out the excursion, we’re transported from ages past, through the fleeting present into the future, to a warming ocean with disrupted ecosystems and unpredictable currents, the effect of a morphing climate.

complex melodic motifs grow and cover your brain like kudzu as swarms of insects gather to witness. the music was composed entirely on banas personal make noise system, which is a modular synthesizer. pressed to 12inch clear (140gm) vinyl and inserted into a black inner dust sleeve and matte jacket w/ photography by bana haffar and layout by sean curtis patrick.

almost a year has passed since the ghost of serena butler made its appearance on the realms of eerie - techno oddball marco shuttle’s label. now s/he and other beings gave birth to a new continuum, bene tleilax, where serena’s second ep, “from the cloud to our bodies”, has been conceived.
dub visions and found sound sculptures float over a maelstrom of skeletal techno remains, together with delicate melodies and vocal swarms from a realm where nothing is so sacred that it cannot be reengineered and transformed. this is a release which seizes alienation as impetus to generate new worlds while remaining still counter-trend to certain dark souls in modern electronic music. another biomechanical effort which sounds like the perfect nexus of fluid hopes and unparalleled roles.

long-time techno protagonist and figure mainstay johannes heil returns with a new 4-track package under his cryptik pseudonym. continuing the focus on a more leftfield, experimental sound, cryptik emerses the listener into a soundtrack world of rich sound, depth of field and versatile, changeable moods. by no means a simple club record, all four tracks offer subtle and rich musical content, each telling a story with beautiful melancholic melodies and rushes of endorphins. from elongated 10 minute journeys into the more reflective zones of heils techno world, snaking and building, showing off all the skills he collected over his 20 years-plus career at the top of his artform, crypik is a dance on the senses. from the cinematic elegance of >the gate<, or the bleep-laden epic of >radiance<, to the post-house piano led drama of >messenger< or the heavyweight synth swarms of >belief<, the ep is full of passion and life, capturing truly magic moments.

now hes back with three glorious deep techno tracks that mark the start of an interplanetary trilogy for the label. lead track >exopshere< takes up where his komisch debut left off, with foreboding, dub-tinged chords building into a menacing climax and swarms of driving, razor sharp percussion keeping the arrangement focused on the dance floor. on the flip, >deep end< sees parallel exploring more esoteric sounds, with swirling, layered chords underpinned by dubbed out drums, heavy claps and hissing percussion, like an update of classic sterac material. >analogue city< brings a mellow end to the release. deep pads and ghostly sounds hover above a warm, splurging bassline that recalls underground resistance in mellow, tripped out mode. if youre looking for the classic sounds reinterpreted for contemporary techno dance floors, then make sure to get an audience with the >cosmic observer<.

japanese dj ducts >hitman< taps into a psychedelic set of original sounds, deviants >caballo< laces us in swarms of latin percussion & dirty basslines. dj 3000 provides remixes that takes them into new realms. tracks taken from dj 3000 presents >broken research vol. 2< mix-cd.

banging techno. not to play your mother!!

dj diamond is 24 year old karlis griffin from the west side of chicago. he has been producing music since the age of 13 and djing since 20, heading the -flight muzik- clique of footwork producers. you might recall his two tracks from our -bangs & works vol.1- footwork compilation of last year. in addition hes also released several mix cds in chicago, but this, his first international album showcases his unique style of footwork music. dj diamond is a unique producer with his own distinct style and an unusual ear for unexpected sonic and rhythmic combinations within the footwork template. often he thoroughly edits samples into tiny trance-inducing, techno-like stabs. combining this with a penchant for neon synths and loose, broken drums (that are often more effect-laden and freeform than those of of his peers) and you have a sound which has an intriguing, deeper, dreamlike feel. the breadth and quality of his production is clear when you listen to this album. take opener -rep yo clique-s woozy drawling synths and tribal tom patterns next to -speakerz n tonguez- with it-s snapping snares, minimal, repetitive voice samples and martial, detailed drum work. then a track like -torture rack- which is like grime in outer space: a minimal bassline and some samples from a computer game, while a bass kick stumbles at half time, swarms of percussive detail giving it drama. its a brilliant exercise in wonky tension. the extraordinary -decoded- comes across like a kind of amalgam of trance and prog rock bombast at 160bpm while -wreckageÕs- high pitch saw noise is like a strange metallic bird-call, over light cymbals, gabba-like kicks and metallic claps. -digimons- harmonic microedits could even be an snd track transported to chicago. finally the albums closer -i choose you- rolls out over a heavily edited and processed soul sample, its drums rolling off at odd angles to almost seasick effect.