Dub_Connected - Electronic Music

Liquid Audio Soundz: 2001

Amazingly, astoundingly, incredulously, this is the first electronic music album I've gotten that's simply titled Electronic Music. You'd think with a music collection of some two-thousand plus items, it'd have come up more often. Yet I've far more records simply titled Genesis than I do Electronic Music. Hell, in the 'E's, I have eight variations of Earth, three Eternals, three Everythings, and somehow three Elephants. I'll grant an electronic music artist titling their album Electronic Music may be a little too on the nose – even as early as the '70s, synth wizard Synergy had the good sense to name his debut Electronic Realizations For Rock Orchestra. And who knows, maybe there are several out there that I simply haven't stumbled upon. Some early-ass compilation series, right? I dunno', just figured it would have come up at some in my music gathering endeavours than another collection of dubby techno tracks from a Gabriel Le Mar side-project.

In case you missed my first Dub_Connected review, here's the recap: ol' Gab' was gettin' real busy at the turn of the century, releasing mucho music across several aliases and collaborations. Saafi Brothers was probably the most well recognized of the lot, having an all-star cast of artists on hand, but he was making inroads on all forms of dubby jams among other works too. Dub_Connected was the one that went just a little more techno than others, with a compilation of works released in Vol. 1 – Mind The Gab! This is the follow-up, billed as a proper album since its all fresh material mostly exclusive to this release.

That said, a good chunk of Electronic Music does sound like the leftover tracks from those earlier sessions. Not so much opener The Soul Takes A Flight, a brisk, smooth groover with a little vocoder action, the sort of track I could see Swayzak playing at peak hours back in the day. Following that though, we're deep in that gritty, dirty, dubby techno stylee folks would sooner associate with Bandulu or Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia, though with heavier emphasis on dub music's Jamaican roots. Which hey, I'm all for – it's what got me into those acts in the first place, and given the utter dearth of such jams out there, I'm glad Mr. le Mar had his stab at it too.

Then things get really interesting. No Vemba practically sheds all roots influence and aims straight for the streets of MegaCity District Detroit. After that, Tribal Sunset gets deep in the thumping minimal techno vibe while throwing some extra stank on d'at bassline, while Auto Mobilee gets as minimal as I'm sure Gabriel could ever allow. And just in case this hasn't been Detroit enough for you, closer Something Happened Here Last Night takes us out in fine electro or a moonlight setting fashion.

So an album of two halves, where despite coming in wanting the first, I left more satisfied with the second. As a good LP should.

The Grid - Electric Head

EastWest: 1990

Tale as old as time: two guys meet while working with a legend of their scene (in this case, Psychic TV), decide they have enough creative synergy to do something on their own, and proceed to craft a bunch of tunes influenced by their contemporary clime'. That it would eventually lead to kicking off the 'country twang house' movement of the '90s is something I'm sure no one could have conceived, but I've already covered that bit of history in my review of Evolver.

And to be fair, it's not like Dave Ball was some unknown entity when he lent his talents to the Genesis P-Orridge project, having come off a successful run as the music-man behind Soft Cell. Getting in on that UK acid house scene was inevitable, but finding a kindred spirit in Richard Norris likely helped get things rolling much smoother than most post new-wave efforts often yielded.

However, sometimes you hit the studio with too many ideas sloshing about your brainpan, anxious to get them all out without any clear focus in how to make them all connect. Electric Head certainly doesn't hold back in offering a little something of everything you might hear wandering in a daze through the second Summer Of Love, but I'm not surprised this album doesn't get name-dropped that often when talk of that era comes up. Floatation, yes, absolutely, a definitive staple in the burgeoning afterhours chill-out scene. The plunderphonic-hop of Are You Receiving though? Or the woozy house of Driving Instructor? Or the hi-NRG antics of A Beat Called Love? Or the dopey EBM of Doctor Celine? The Pet Shop Boys aping This Must Be Heaven? Not so much, I wager. That Intergalactica though, I can't see anyone having much trouble working that into a Moroder inspired set. You might even throw folks for a loop after revealing it was made by the same chaps as Texas Cowboy.

That about sums it up though, doesn't it? The classic albums of electronic music from the early '90s are typically deemed as such because they were trend setters, defining genres in their infancy. While The Grid were certainly capable song writers and clever studio producers right out the gate, there really isn't much on Electric Head that you couldn't hear elsewhere. I guess that's why they made this more of an album experience, linking everything with interstitial sonic doodles and field recordings, which does help. Makes it feel like you're taking a sampling of what you might hear surfing the radio waves of the UK at the time. The spaced-out acid house of opener One Giant Step not doing it for you, so you switch the station, and oh, here's some sampledelic electro in Islamotron. But I want to hear something reminding me of that trip to Ibiza. Like all the clubby tunes? No, no, I've heard plenty of that already. I mean the comedown part.

Yeah, small wonder lead single Floatation got placed at the end of the album.

Triquetra - Ecstatic Planet

Suntrip Records: 2018

Look, we all know the '90s is old now. Thirty-plus years ain't no joke, and for those of us that grew up during that decade, it's hard reconciling two whole generations have come up in its wake. It's weird thinking 'the kidz' will get hep to the sounds that soundtracked your developmental days. Don't they, like, have their own music to get down to? Yes, for the most part, but there's always those outliers that get inspired by the sounds of yesteryear. Your Brian Setzers bringing back swing jazz. Your Greta Van Fleets bringing back Led Zeppelin. Your Fantastic Negrito bringing back roots blues. Okay, that one never really went away, but you get my drift.

So it goes with Triquetra. The twin brothers weren't even born when the music they're inspired by was getting made. If they got into acid house or Detroit techno or progressive trance or funky breaks, I could see that being a thing. After all, those are well established legacy genres, with well established legacy artists that are top of the list when veterans start name-dropping Very Important People at d'em yoots. It's rather rare that you'll see this happen in the psy scene.

Right, I was a doe-eyed teen when I first started getting into the O.G.s of goa trance, but that's because they were the new cats. If someone in their teens started getting into psy now, I'd assume they'd start scoping out whatever the hot artists and styles are of these modern times are, not what was poppin' decades prior. And far as I know, full-on remains the dominate gateway psy sub-genre, with neo-goa (or whatever you want to call Suntrip's stylee) firmly in niche territory. For a pair of younglings to instead be inspired by the music of their crustie forefathers, it'd be like, well, some teens jamming to King Crimson in the '90s.

Right, right, I'm way overthinking things, aren't I? Heh, as can be expected of music that's supposed to expand consciousness (or something). Let's just focus on Triquetra's debut album with Suntrip then, Ecstatic Planet. I was rather surprised how retro this retro psy sounded. Despite drawing inspiration from the long-ago time, most neo-goa still tends to retain beefy modern production standards, perhaps almost to a fault sometimes. Not so here, most of the acid lines, squiggly sounds, and compressed kicks sounding like something straight out of a that Classic Goa Trax compilation. The Reinartz brothers don't fuss much with extraneous effects or multi-layered synths, some added didgeridoo jamming (the live cut of Gargantuan Tribes) about the fanciest they get in adding flair to all the TB-303 action.

It kinda' puts Ecstatic Planet in a weird middle-zone of enjoyment, like an album of filler tracks on a classic Blue Room Released collection, that don't quite stand out from the best tunes on the CD. And hey, there's always a place for that, but if the hard acid side of psy isn't quite your thing, then this likely won't be either.

N:L:E - Ecovillage

Liquid Frog Records: 2022

Not very often we get an album focusing so specifically on the achievements of mankind from N:L:E. Juan Pablo tends to prefer exploring our naturalistic surroundings, from the micro to the macro, realms unconcerned with humanity's presence. Even Yahgan, a direct reference to a people living in the remote ends of Argentina, is more an homage to their nearly lost culture than an exploration of our species' presence in even the most inhospitable clime's.

And maybe its that concern for the often destructive nature of our adaptive abilities that got Mr. Giacovino feeling inspired by something a little more sustainable in co-existing within our environments. Make no mistake: for as remarkable as its been that we've bent mother nature to our will in service of our survival, its come with many fallouts too. No other animal has so radically altered its living spaces for its own benefit to such a degree as humans have. Even the engineering feats of the mighty beaver pale compared to our concrete fortifications. Heck, given how much Earth's atmosphere has changed during the Holocene Epoch, we just might give even cyanobacteria a run for its money! Okay, maybe not. They had a few hundred million years to do what they did, and we'll be lucky to make it to our first million years of existence.

Where was I? Oh, right, ecovillages. Yeah, that's one way we might stave off our inevitable doom. Dwellings making use of natural energy sources like solar power and windmills and rain floods. All good for small scale communities, absolutely, though you'd really have to dig that isolated trad life while you're at it. And hey, given the ever-increasing stresses put upon us by over-stimulation from ongoing world events, unplugging and retreating to the ass-ends of some corner of Earth does sound tempting. Still, take it from someone who did spend a spell living in one of those ass-ends of the Earth: shit gets real boring real fast. You gotta' be quite content with the humdrum life, because there ain't much else that'll get your jimmies rustled. Not for the ADHD inclined, is what I'm sayin'.

Anyhow, Ecovillage. As this is something of a more 'earthly' concept from Natural Life Essence, the music on hand gets quite groovy and dubby for much of its runtime. Saving Water even whips out the melodica for a jam over its ultra-lazy rhythms, while Chant adds some simulated throat singing (I assume, since it doesn't sound much like a sample). Elsewhere, Fire Storm Ritual ups the tempo to prog-psy levels, though retains rather mostly broken beats for its duration, all the while reminding me of AstroPilot in the process (whoo, acid!).

Overall, a generally uplifting, positive vibe is maintained, as though we're bearing witness to a community in high spirits going about their daily activities. Hey, you didn't have to sell the idea of an Ecovillage that hard, Juan Pablo. You had me at 'environmentally sustainable arable society' alone. How's the internet connection though?

Nacht Plank - Echo Ark

...txt: 2014/2022

For as much as I've talked about his labels, his collaborations, and his influence upon modern ambient techno circles in general, I sure haven't covered much of Lee Norris' solo work. Indeed, of the twenty-seven items I have tagged with his name within this blog's archives, only four are of Lee on his own. And most of those tend to be Nacht Plank items, though that's not terribly surprising as it's the alias he's most often released under. Yeah, Metamatics and Norken may have given him more early momentum, but Nacht Plank seems to be where he feels most free in his musical journeys.

And that may also be why I haven't come back to it often. Alien was an interesting album with analogue '70s weirdness going for it, but boy do I need to be in a particular mood to enjoy it. Which is more than could be said for the raw experimentation I heard on Broad Tape Band. And as for Third Sacraments Council, well, it's certainly a solid slice of hour-long ambient drone, but again, only good for particular moods (chiefly, 'sweepy beddy-bye time'). All this is to say I needed something rather particular for me to indulge in a Nacht Plank release again.

And this Echo Ark album, that certainly looked to fit the bill. Just the cover art alone, EPCOT Center as viewed through some alternate lens, already sparks so many creative possibilities. The near-naive optimism of Disneyfied retro-futurism, twisted into some abstract tonal counterpoint, a lasting legacy of human hubris in the face of a society deformed from its former glory. I'm not saying Echo Ark is all that – indeed, maybe Lee presents this album with just as much Utopian idealism as Tomorrowland always envision. Given these colour tones though, I suspect not.

Opening Shepherd Satelite is a rather tranquil start though, the analogue bleeps and bloops kept mostly to a steadying heartbeat while synth pads gently slide and glide throughout- Oh, wait, things just took a tonal shift. Now we're in weirdly ominous territory, with additional transistor chatter. Did... did something happen? Has the grand plan fallen upon hard times? Well, whatever the case, following that is a near twenty-six minute long excursion of tranquil field recording manipulations, melancholy synths, and even a little pitter-patter of rhythm burbling to the surface now and then. Aminita, the piece is called, and if it don't conjure primordial vistas as seen through some viewscreen on the Prometheus (the one orbiting Solaris, I mean), I don't know what will.

The rest of Echo Ark (three tracks averaging a dozen minutes each) play out in similar fashion: field recordings, wistful synth pad melodies, light use of experimental sounds and effects. Overall a rather pleasant outing, especially considering the more foreboding tone the second half of Shapherd Satelite suggested. I guess even Lee couldn't get quite as cynical as some do whenever talking about the overtly celebratory nature of EPCOT's future vision for mankind.

Ra - Earthcall

Suntrip Records: 2016

Nope, still not used to Ra having such a small discography. Forget having a brainfart over their 9th album only being their second, I just can't help but assume they have a far more robust catalogue than what Lord Discogs claims. Again, it's all those compilation contributions. Whether offering up tracks to Suntrip, other tunes to Altar Records, or even getting a few nods on the memorable Goa-Head series, they certainly have enough material for at least a double-LP of assorted musics. Mainline records though? Can you believe this here Earthcall, released eight years ago, is just their fourth album?

Heck, it's just their second for Suntrip, a surprise in of itself considering how much folks often pointed to 9th as one of the label's definitive early releases. Surely pressure was high for a quick follow-up, but instead they spent some time on the downswing, putting out a mostly chill affair on Altar between 9th and this. Then after Earthcall, barely a peep beyond the compilation market again, a lone EP on Altar the only thing since, and released just last year at that. Seems Ra really aren't in a hurry to flood the market with trance, content letting all the hep new cats on the scene grab all the goa glory.

That's what I find rather fascinating about Earthcall. Given how gung-ho the goa and psy goes from most of the artists I've heard on Suntrip thus far, it's quite refreshing having an album that plays things relatively smooth, easy, and dare I say, chill. Yeah, the beats are still at a brisk pace, and there's plenty of momentum in Ra's use of synth leads, all building to solid peaks as any other nu-goa trance you'll hear. It's all just really mellow about it too. Music that realizes there must be times for those build-up and lead-down moments within a set (or heck, a twenty-four hour bender), and Ra are completely content playing that roll.

You can vibe, you can sway, you can flail, but there's no tear-out climax to these tracks – let some of the younger lads on the Suntrip roster fill those slots. Christer and Lars are old hats at this game, after all, doing their thing since the early '90s. They'd like to retire to their tents at the festival early, I wager. Or maybe they've become early birds as all old people do. So here's a set for the wee morning hours while being served at the Vegan Rasoi Smorgasbord.

Six tracks make up the bulk of Earthcall, plus one collaboration with Menkalian dragging Ra closer to where most folks would expect of modern goa to go (tear out peak!), plus an obligatory downtempo closer. As with 9th, I can't say much of this stuck with me afterwards, but for some reason, I came away from Earthcall with an overall better experience. Just more pleasant listening compared to how bricked and full throttle some of Suntrip's trance can get. Gettin' old, I guess.

N:L:E - Dune

Liquid Frog Records: 2021

Man, everyone gettin' their Dune on d'eez days, eh? Film makers, musicians, video essayists, and the whole lot. I'd like to say I've been getting down with the Dune just as much, but I can't quite make that leap. Like, the first movie from a few years back, I was a little intrigued, but already knowing the bulk of the story, wasn't that hyped for it either. And to be perfectly blunt, Denis' take on the source material looked almost too reverential, really focusing on the world building to an almost fetishistic degree. Say what you will about the Lynch version, but that movie had some real balls in going so gonzo with set design. David firmly putting his signature on it, catch my drift? Does Villeneuve's Dune have any scene as glorious as Patrick Stewart leading a charge into battle with pug in arms? I think not!

Still, that second movie, that would be the stuff. Those story beats got massively butchered in the Lynch version due to a truncated script, but surely Denis would flesh everything out with all the extra time afforded. Wait, it doesn't feature a creepy little girl murdering the Baron? Well, geez, what's the point, then? One of the best aspects of Dune is just how fucked up the source material really is.

Admittedly, I haven't read the books, mostly digesting the lore through video essays and dense fan wikis. My hesitation comes from being unsure whether Herbert's prose can live up to the premise. I sense Dune is one of those novels that's more fascinating in its ideas and world building than it is in actual execution, and perhaps why its long been regarded as unfilmable. Well, whatever the case, I can at least rest easy understanding every Duncan Idaho meme on the internet.

Oh, wait, I'm supposed to be talking about Juan Pablo Giacovino's take with Dune, aren't I? This almost feels unfair, in that a lot of musicians have taken inspiration from Dune, and how can I possibly compare his to them all? It doesn't sound like Toto. It doesn't sound like Brian Eno. It doesn't sound like Hans Zimmer. And doesn't sound like EON. It sounds like... well, it sounds like one of his Caravan sessions, if I'm honest.

Which is fine in of itself, but doesn't really capture the inhospitable nature of Arrakis, does it? So calm, flowing, and soothing, little of the mystery and ominous feeling of wandering a dry wasteland dominated by impossibly large worms, all the while tripping your dimensional space off to spice. No, this feels more like traversing the gentle waves of fine particulate grains gracefully moving across an arid surface of a mild wind, existing between the two extremes of torturous heat and deathly cold. There is still a sense of the grand in N:L:E's ambient excursions, but more like gazing upon the environment from afar, unaware and unconcerned with the turmoil that lurks within its unique surface.

Dance With The Dead - Driven To Madness

self-release: 2022

And thus we've come to the end of yet another of my Bandcamp catalogue bulk buys, that of the dynamic duo of Dance With The Dead. What I find remarkable about this one is, unlike so many other artists I did the deed with, these chaps haven't released anything since. No continued unearthing of archival material or relentlessly releasing new stuff, just sitting pat for the past two years. Okay, a tenth anniversary remastering of their debut album Out Of Body, but I don't count that. All I'm getting at is it's rather satisfying completing one of these discography dives and not having my OCD triggered by some unexpected unfinished business at its conclusion.

Is that the bigger question here, whether I'll carry on getting Dance With The Dead albums after this? For sure I like their stuff, but Driven To Madness kinda' shows they haven't evolved much either. You generally know what you're gonna' get with each record – driving synthwave action with epic guitar riffage – and that's fine for a fix every now and then. Yet I can't help but feel completely sated on their style now, this album not quite hitting the highs I've come to expect from them. Maybe it's just the record itself, Tony and Justin trying to find their mojo again after a four-year gap between LPs (not to mention a pandemic).

They're certainly shooting for something far grander in scope, even getting some dialog from John Carprenter in the opening intro. Finally, a feature from the man that inspired so much of their sound! What turned my head even quicker, however, was the opening riff of follow-up Firebird, reminding me of Stone Temple Pilots' Sex Type Thing. Grunge is not a genre of music I make many connective tissues with, especially when dealing with anything involving synths. Firebird is pretty darn epic though, even dropping some choir pads at its climax. Ah, hmm, maybe overselling things a little there, lads. And something about the chugging synths in Hex has me feeling a track more suited for some festival set than a pair of dudes jamming on stage. It is a different direction than what I'm used to hearing from them, but not really sustained for the rest of Driven To Madness.

And I think that's where my disconnect comes in. While I can't say I would have looked forward to a whole album of just festival bangers (even from these guys), at least it would have been something different. Instead, we're back in familiar territory with the outrun cuts (Sledge, Wyrm Of Doom), the heavier rockers (I'm Your Passenger, A New Fear), the synth poppers (Kiss Of The Creature, Nebula), and the ballad (Start The Thaw). I do appreciate hearing more regular drums over digital ones (sampled or not, I'm not sure, there isn't a drummer credit included), but beyond that, yeah, it's Dance With The Dead doing their thing. Think I'll need a little more than that should I get any future albums.

N:L:E - Docking To The New Space Station

Liquid Frog Records: 2020

Hey, remember Natural Life Essence? Boy, sure has been a while since I last talked about an album specific to this alias of Juan Pablo Giacovino. According to my stats, the last was Botanical Adventures way back in December, which, okay, maybe not that long ago, what with a month off between and all. Still, it feels like I've been focusing more on Juan Pablo's other projects than this one as of late. Except Yahgan, that one's been left out on a limb for a while now.

Oh, and I'm kinda' fibbing on dealing with a regular ol' album from N:L:E in this case, even if the title doesn't imply as such. Way back when Juan Pablo started out, he released a three-part series called Space Caravan (chap loves his caravans), which I assume helped him stand out from an overstuffed ambient market. Nothing gets fans of droning synth tones more amped than adding a little conceptualization of the cosmic grande. Wrapped, he moved onto other sonic pursuits like bio-diversity and adventures of polar peoples, generally leaving the space stuff behind. That didn't last long though, returning to Space Caravan with Docking To The New Space Station, a spiritual sequel in concept if not in title. Not much longer after that, he started an entirely new alias for any and all space ambient music on his mind, H:U:M. But that's getting ahead of things. Or reiterating points I've already made. I'm honestly losing track of all this ten months on.

Calling this an album also may be a slight fib, in that three of the five tracks are billed as remixes of the titular opener. I'm not sure how much of a difference that makes overall, but as I've heard in other releases from Juan Pablo, he isn't afraid of exploring different facets of similar themes over genre variations. Just usually those are distinguished as 'Part's or '[Alias] Remix's, not independently titled remixes in of themselves. Well, I guess he was still sussing all these things out – when one has as relentless a work rate has Mr. Giacovino has shown, things like titling conventions tend to be a little fluid.

As for the main near-fifteen minute track, it's got much of what I've come to expect out of an N:L:E Caravan session: flowing, whispery synth pads, some spritely effects sprinkled about, a little arp action building rhythmic momentum in the back-end. And I swear there's a distant woodwind sample that rather reminds me of the opening refrains you hear on many an Enigma album. The Sounds Of New Sun Mix is much the same, but features bell tones rather than arps, the Error Data Solved Mix brings in some simple rhythms, and the Short Transmission Mix is basically the Original Mix at half the length. There's also a final cut of Ending Transmission which really gets on some proper planetarium ambient vibes, just in case you were feeling well sated on all the layered whispery pad work that preceded it.

Kiphi - Divine Flux

Liquid Frog Records: 2021

Small point of order, an additional bit of info regarding this Kiphi project I've thus far neglected detailing. For you see, this is not just another alias of Juan Pablo Giacovino, one where he indulges in more melodic arps over his other projects. For sure that is an element of it, but there's another crucial tidbit of data that needs illuminating. A second gunman- erm, I mean, contributor to these electronic music pieces.

He's always been there, but for some reason slipped through my name-drops, assuming Kiphi was the same as Natural Life Essence, H:U:M, Spiritual Fields, Yaghan, and so on. Indeed, this particular person could very well be the primary creative force behind Kiphi, with Juan Pablo just hanging out in the same studio as sonic support. I certainly haven't seen the individual's name crop up elsewhere beyond some art and 'thanks' credits, but with a primary producer's role along side Juan Pablo, I have to assume as such. And this entity's name? Jose Carlos Giacovino. Brother? Father? Son? Spouse? Cousin? I haven't a clue, and haven't been able to find any more info. Not that it matters much, but y'know, gotta' be as thorough as one can be with these things. Lord Discogs gets mighty stingy if you submit releases to their database if you're not crossing all the 'T's and accenting all the 'É's.

I guess another reason I felt compelled to clarify the air over how many Giacovinos are contributing to these projects is because this is the first 'solo' Kiphi release I'm finally reviewing. I could kinda'-sorta' get away with assuming this was still all Juan Pablo when it was N:L:E & Kiphi, and such as, but no more! Unless Roberto Giacovino gets in on the act as well. So many Giacovinos running around Argentina. Just... so many.

Anyhow, you can throw that assumption on my part that Kiphi is strictly the 'N:L:E with arps' project, because there's a fair bit of diversity of style even with it serving as something of a rudder. Indeed, opener Ancient Mandala has them in a subtle fashion, but it's as much an ultra-chill ambient dub session with world beat overtones as anything synthy. Ooh, wouldn't that make this a Spiritual Fields jam instead? After World goes more psy-chill, while the titular cut settles into a layered ambient outing with dense, droning pads.

From there, the pace gets a significant boost, the arp work in Civilization far more propulsive than what's come before, while Prana gets into proper prog-psy territory, though is a little herky-jerky in execution. And what N:L:E record (adjacent or otherwise) would be complete without a two-part dub session? Incomplete, says I, so here's Antartica Interstellar 1 and 2, the first half the long ambient build, the second going full on into psy-dub territory. And wow, I've thus far heard plenty finesse with Juan Pablo's basslines, but does this one ever add some tasty stank throughout. I wonder if Jose Carlos was responsible for that?

Synaptic Voyager - Disconnect To Reconnect

Frame Of Mind: 2024

So I got into Gerd. Okay, 'got into' is maybe a stretch at this early stage, having only sampled a bunch of his releases thus far. I liked what I heard though, so sprung for a bunch of his stuff from back in the day. During that bout of Bandcamp digging, I came into contact with his Frame Of Mind print. A newish label that started out as a means of re-issuing his back catalogue, it's expanded to include other artists with rare material from the '90s, some of which never saw the light of day.

This here Synaptic Voyager seems to be one such act. I can't find much info about them, simply credited to Paul Baines and M. White (7), neither of whom have much Discoggian presence. A lone Discogs comments claims this comes from Sheffield, material recorded to DATs and sat in limbo for decades. I can believe it, as the techno on here is about as retro as you'll ever hear inspired from the Detroit Holy Lands. However, that scene was already moving onto its minimal phase, so this stuff would have come off rather dated all too quickly. Yes, even retro futuristic electro-jams were old hat as the '90s took form. Unless you were one of the O.G.s or Belleville Three, you had to evolve or be left in the dust.

Fortunately, three decades is plenty of time removed from all that scene pressure, letting folks who made some techno jams back in the day have their efforts re-emerge from the ether without preconceived judgment. Or heck, they maybe could have at any point, but it's nice having an established veteran like Gert-Jan Bilj give you that all-important seal of approval, hitching to his wagon and all. The first Synaptic Voyager record, State Of Play, came out a couple years ago to good response, and now we have Disconnect To Reconnect, coming out to... Well, I assume good response also, but this is so new (one month old as of this writing!), maybe the underground buzz is still burbling to the surface.

And yeah, this is techno as heard straight from the source, many years removed from its creation, with just a token amount of modern mastering. Second track Ne Plus Ultra will definitely get your Rhythim Is Rhythim triggers flaring (not to mention a little Frankie Knuckles), right down to those choppy strings. I'll give it this though, they certainly sound better here than they ever did on Derrick May's 'classic' single.

Oh, what the heck: this album's all kinds of awesome for the nostalgia feels. There's just no denying vintage Detroit techno continues to hit a sweet spot of basic body movin' goodness and earwormy bleeps, bloops, acid, and basslines. These tracks truly shine, however, when they're allowed to stretch to double-digit jam session lengths, just free-flowing over ever-shifting loop layering and knob twiddling. Eh, what's that, you didn't get the awesome extended versions with your black crack? 'Tis a shame, that.

Cymphonic - Dimensionata

Databloem: 2013

Diving deep into Databloem can seem daunting. Yeah, plenty recognizable names have passed through the label's doors over the decades, but I'm talking about all the other names that have come and gone. Your Danny Kreutzfeldts, your Krzysztof Orluks, your Beta Two Agonists, and so on. Of course, you never know who might make it far in this niche business – I doubt anyone had a clue that Daniel Pemberton kid would become a player in Hollywood when he debuted on Fax+ as a teen. Still, its understandable why some artists get bypassed, never gaining the name recognition that comes with a fruitful career. Only to be rediscovered long down the road when folks start truly digging into a long-lasting label in a flurry of “How did we miss this?” excitement.

I'm not saying Stanley Swinkel's Cymphonic project is one such example, but man, listening to his final record Dimensionata, I could see it happening. He didn't release much, just a handful of items on Databloem, but if they're as interesting as this one, they gotta' be worth scoping out.

It isn't even like he's doing something revolutionary or unique with his ambient excursion here, but it's somehow quite captivating for the hour-plus time it plays through. That's not such an easy feat as you'd believe, always those moments in LP-length ambient sessions that will have your attention drifting this way or that. Does it sound like I'm praising a singular track? Yes, because that's what Dimensionata is, even though it's not.

There are separate tracks on here, eleven ranging from three to fifteen minutes in length (mostly on the shorter end). You can hear when each track starts and ends, as there will be a distinct tonal shift between them. Yet everything flows so seamlessly together, you'll swear it's all the same piece with different segments. I know the easiest comparison would be something like an old, lengthy Berlin-School jam, but even those would be structured around a singular concept. Dimensionata is somehow like that, but each segment stands unique from the other, as a skipping session clearly illustrates.

Primavera features ethereal harps and meditative chants, Weaving makes use of distant operatic voices over minimalist pads, Alignment Of Realities grows ominous with dark ambience, Dancing In Purple Light brings tranquil levity with spritely arps, and so on and so on. As described, each piece sounds perfectly fine on their own, yet I can't imagine listening to any of them outside the context of this album as a whole. Yes, that makes Dimensionata the Ace Track of this review, even though it's not a singular track in of itself.

But is it any good though? Well, if you like your ambient music subtle and full of humble grace, absolutely. Whether its a true Hidden Gem of Databloem, you'd have to ask someone who's consumed the label's entire catalogue. From what I've heard out of the print, however, it's definitely one of the more fascinating listening experiences I've had.

Masterboy - Different Dreams

Polytel: 1994

Can't have a credible eurodance collection without at least one Masterboy album in it. And if there's any worth having, it's definitely this one. It's got their most recognizable hits, it came out during that scene's best year, the original line-up with Trixi Delgado is still intact, and... um... it's got the most comments on Lord Discogs? Heh, that's funny, in that the follow-up album, Generation Of Love, has none. Even their generic house debut, The Masterboy Family, has at least one review.

Let me backtrack. Was Masterboy that big a deal back in the day? For sure I remember seeing that iconic logo – how could you not miss such a vicious grin among all the Dance Mix collections? Yet what were their big singles? Everybody Needs Somebody, I Got To Give It Up and Generation Of Love seem like the obvious contenders, but they were just marginally successful on most charts, only once cracking the Top 10 in their native Germany (with Feel The Heat Of The Night).

Eurodance was massively spoiled for options when Masterboy was active, and some acts had to fall by the wayside when talk of the most noteworthy names carried on. I feel like the group Tommy Schleh and Enrico Zabler built turned into one such act, as the utter lack of Shuffle Dance videos featuring their tunes attests to. But hey, it's three decades later (!!), surely enough time to dust off some of their music to see if its gained overlooked gem status.

And the titular second track (first's an intro) bodes well: strong punchy riffs in that vintage buzzy, sawwave synth style, propulsive rhythms that get you hyped doing aerobic exercises, Trixi belting out an earwormy chorus and... Tommy just adequately doing the rap. Whoof, I know eurodance was never known for its brilliant lyrical wordplay, but even this stuff is some of the most basic material you'll ever hear. Gander: “If you wanna be in the galaxy; If you wanna take a trip inside a starship; If you wanna be President; If you wanna be from heaven sent; If you wanna be the guide of all; If you wanna be ten feet tall;” Okay, yeah, believe in your dreams and all that, but Mr. Schleh delivers such lines with all the enthusiasm of reading copy for a life insurance commercial, like he's afraid of tripping over every syllable.

It's far from a deal breaker, mind you, as all the other elements in play are peak-era eurodance, production as solid as anything you'll hear from '94. Those choruses from Trixi in Is This The Love and Do You Wanna Dance are just to die for, in that they'll get your heart rate soaring! I get the need for rap verses – it's was the successful formula everyone had to copy. When they don't even have a ragga gimmick going for them though, it's little surprise Masterboy isn't remembered quite so readily as other acts of the day.

Krystian Shek - Despite Our Silence

Carpe Sonum Records: 2021

Krystian's a frequent Carpe Sonum contributor, indeed among their earliest sign-ons. Probably didn't hurt he's also Fax+ alumni, debuting on Pete Namlook's print over two decades ago. Yet it's taken me this long to finally bite the bullet on one of his albums. Why? I mean, both Sometimes Not and Al-Qāhirah are blue covered releases, so surely Mr. Shek is a shoo-in for my interests. Well, I did sample some, and turns out Krystian fancies himself the minimalist dub techno style a fair amount. Hey, I fancy myself that as well, on occasion, but I tend to get my fill elsewhere, from names like Lars Leonhard and labels like Ultimae Records.

Still, I was likely doing myself a disservice if I didn't at least give ol' Krystian at least one chance, so nabbed this particular album of Despite Our Silence. Why? Cover art reminded me of some Silent Season vibes, and with that label now seemingly on permanent hiatus, gotta' get my naturalist dub techno tunes somewhere.

And the titular opening track bodes... slightly promising? I'm mostly reminded of Norman Feller's Frameless Structure, what with its deep dub atmospherics, minimalist sinewy synths, and distant field recordings. Whereas Norman wasn't afraid to lay some emotional tones on thick, however, Krystian keeps things about as restrained as humanly possible – I kept waiting for things to kick up another notch, but it simply doesn't, content remaining at the same tone for its seven minute duration. Well, this is the opening track, the mood setter, from where things can build upon. Right?

Typically, yes, but instead Mr. Shek goes ever more minimal for much of the remaining album. Sparse dub throbs, rhythms that barely tick and tock (if there's even any percussion), and exactly one (1) unique feature per track that comes and goes with little fanfare. Some acid in From the Depths Of The Hearts. Spritely synths in A Spot Of Dust that'll get your John Carpenter triggers flaring. Echoing synth leads that hint at something grander way, way beyond in Occupied By Night. Some gentle piano diddling in Morning Fog. An aggressive bit of post-dubstep rhythm that's over before it begins in Forbidden Forests. Only final track The Bells Of Kiribati offers something truly different, all layered bell tones, field recordings and sample manipulations. Oh, and a CD secret song after, something comparatively uptempo and, dare I say, hooky for dub techno. Holy cow, did this album ever need more of that!

But then I suspect Despite Our Silence is not that sort of album. Fair enough, but at just forty-five minutes long (sans secret song), it doesn't offer much either. There's some dub tones, there's sporadic melodic tasters sprinkled about, and not a whole lot else. Even if I'm down for the spacious emptiness of it all, without that exquisite Ultimae Mixdown™ Aes Dana provides for similar sounding albums on his label's releases, I simply don't get as lost within. An unfortunate case of 'it's okay, but I've heard better'-itis.

Filteria - Daze Of Our Lives

Suntrip Records: 2009

Khetzal's Cororlle may have been That One Album That Put The Label On The Map, but Filteria was the chap that gave Suntrip Records their early momentum. Indeed, three of their first thirteen releases, including compilations, were albums of his. Ask any fan of this whole neo-goa movement what are essential releases of this scene, and chances are high you'll see his debut album Sky Input within that list. Maybe this one too, but there seems to be some split of opinion on whether Daze Of Our Lives or Heliopolis is the worthy follow-up. Guess I'll find it in due time, since the entire Filteria discography was part of the Suntrip bundle.

Actually, I wonder if Daze is considered the black sheep of the lot. For one thing, it's got cover-art unlike anything else in the Suntrip catalogue. As is abundantly clear, the label loves its vintage psy aesthetics: fractals, kaleidoscopes, mysticism, far East iconography, fantastical sci-fi, and the whole lot. This one though has none of that. The landscape is realistic (if outwordly), the little space explorer looks like a practical model, and it all has that retro-future twee look I always associated with labels like Simon Posford's Twisted Records. This being early in Suntrip's lifespan, I guess they were still in a feeling-out process of where they could take their regular cover art (the mermaid-sporting Born Underwater from Merr0w, as an example, was the label's previous release). Interesting that Daze Of Our Lives is Suntrip's lone example of this particular kind, so I assume it wasn't a look they felt fit their mould.

Anyhow, for a producer so often hailed as one of goa trance's resurgent heroes, I'm surprised this album seems to lean more into psy's domain. Yeah, yeah, splitting hairs and all, but when folks think of goa, it's the more melodic side of the scene's music, whereas psy goes trippier and thicker on the acid benders. There's definitely melodic leads in the seven tracks presented here (plus a slower, prog-psy closer), but aside from a few prominent climaxes, aren't the driving force - holy Hell, does Earthrise ever have a blinder of one though! Mostly, everything's all about that forward thrust, with fluid basslines and rhythm's that have a real bounce to them. Even tracks where things are scaled back a little, like the overlong In The Heaven's Eye, still an undeniable spring in its step. Expert music for outdoor flailing, is what I'm sayin'.

Not being as ultra-melodic as his previous albums left a few folks a little turned-off, but that was in the past. Does it hold up fifteen years on? Solid enough, I'd say, in that this was more the direction neo-goa would go compared to the obvious homages early Suntrip offered. Whether Daze Of Our Lives truly is a black cheep of Mr. Tzikas' body of work, however, I can't say until listening to the rest. Ironically, due to alphabetical stipulation, his first will be my last. Maybe it'll be for the best?

Canopy Of Stars - Darkness And Light

Databloem: 2022

I do wonder what Databloem's legacy is at this point. What felt sort of like a proving ground for up and coming ambient, glitch, and chill techno producers has been supplanted by many more upstarts in the decades since the label's birth (a hefty chunk managed by Lee Norris, no less). You didn't need an album on Databloem to get prominent recognition in the scene at large, but it sure was a nifty feather in the cap for many producers. Yet though their output hasn't waned by any stretch, I sense there hasn't been as much of a rush to push product out since they finally surpassed one-hundred releases (only took twenty years). They've basically proven whatever it was that Dennis Knopper set out to prove (giving Anthony Kerby a place to shine when nowhere else would? Original manifesto seems fuzzy now), so every year is another victory lap.

That don't mean some ambient folks wouldn't like having their music on the label though. Indeed for some, it may still serve as something of a big break. While by no means an utter unknown, Christian Wheeldon mostly settled on self-releasing his Canopy Of Stars material for much of the alias' early career. He did get a tune or two on some reputable compilations from Touched and ...txt, and even provided a remix for an Autumn Of Communion track. Dream Sequence was his first album out on a label not of his own making though, Databloem giving him the green light to do so (including a green coloured cover!). This here Darkness And Light is his follow-up for the label.

There's no denying we're in for a space ambient excursion with this album, but what if I told you it was some real retro space ambient? Like, '80s era space ambient? Heck, maybe even '70s style, though Mr. Wheeldon's synths are far more refined than what you'd hear out of ol' school Vangelis. Nay, I hear more of that Hearts Of Space stylee in his work, bright and shimmery as the best of Kevin Braheny could provide. And opulent, oh my God is this stuff ever overflowing with the kosmiche grande. Some tracks, like the titular cut (and longest at a dozen minutes), are almost mini-albums in themselves, going through multiple movements as though a megamix of various themes from a planetarium show.

All well and nifty for genre connoisseurs, but what pushes this album just a little extra for me are the sporadic Orbital nods. Okay, I'm probably the only one hearing little Hartnoll Brothers riffs in tracks like Mist On The Water and Shinjuku Sunset. Wouldn't surprise me if Christian had more influence from ELO than Orbital in those cases (you can sure hear it in On My Way). Either way, it gives Darkness And Light enough pizzazz keeping it from being a strict exercise in '80s space synth. And quite an exceptional body of music compared to the more minimalist stuff I recently purchased from Databloem.

Dronny Darko & Ugasanie - Dark Source Of The North

Cryo Chamber: 2022

While I've kept tabs on Pavel Malyshkin's various going-ons, I can't say the same for Dronny Darko. Indeed, after my initial honeymoon with all things dark ambient waned (a dark honeymoon!), I let his catalogue slip from my interests. Part of that was the fact he basically fell back on collaborative works, sometimes with other Cryo Chamber regulars like ProtoU (of course) and Alphaxone, other times with new-comers to the Cryo family (Ajna, Radioactive Immersion, G M Slater). Felt a bit of a challenge keeping tabs if I wasn't already familiar with whoever he was working with, especially for an artist I came to realize I could only really take in smaller portions.

Yeah, that's the other reason: Oleh's brand of drone was a bit on the... crushing side of things. I gotta' be prepared to be put into a particular mood after coming away from one of his outings, one I'm not always so keen on being in. Ultimately, dark ambient's all about putting you into something of a negative space - sometimes I just want to feel the equivalent of being inside an isolation chamber, of which Ugasanie is extremely good at (a cold, frigid, remote isolation chamber, if you will). Dronny tends to paint specific pictures within such negative spaces, which can be fascinating to experience within your psyche, but rather disconcerting if you're not in the right frame of mind for it.

So you can see how the two would find sonic simpatico in their scenarios: one creates the space, the other provides the details. In this case, discovering something unreal in the frozen wastes of our Arctic. At least, I assume it's our Arctic. Maybe it's another planet's Arctic? They already did one album covering similar ground, Arctic Gates, but I assume this is simply another exploration of said territory. Still, would be neat if they ended up crafting some long-form narrative out of all their works. Maybe get a Cryo Chamber fanfic writer on it!

Actually, Dark Source Of The North reminds me mostly of an earlier Ugasanie album I've covered, Eye Of Tunguska. Not so clear-cut a storyline as that cinematic drone piece crafted, but more in how things play out. The early Search Of An Object, some sort of Anomaly in an inhospitable domain, coming within its terrifying awesome yet graceful Presence. Establishing some sort of Contact in doing so (ooh, here's were Dronny's effects really come into play), realizing in doing so has horrifying Consequences. You then Transition into... what, exactly? Another being? Into another realm of existence? A sort of permafrost state of mind? It's not clear – cinematic dark drone loves its ambiguity – but whatever it is, it can be found On The Other Side Of The Arctic Gates.

Ooh, seems crystalline, at first. Then... kinda' Altered Dimensions, come to think of it. Well, Dronny's next Cryo album was with Alphaxone, Beyond The Event Horizon. I'd like to believe there's some connective creative tissue there.

H:U:M - Dark Matter

Liquid Frog Records: 2021

Back in the summer of '21, Juan Pablo Giacovino released a pair of H:U:M releases simply titled Dark Matter. Only, he didn't title each one distinctly from the other (like Dark Matter II, or such as), creating a glitch in my music library sorting. Thus both Dark Matters ended up in the same 'album' folder, despite being separate sessions.

Or maybe they were all the same session, and Mr. Giacovino sold them separately? Even though each track is numerically titled, it's clear they all flow into each other. Yes, there's a fade between them, but that's more a consequence of the annoying streaming service handicap that doesn't allow for smooth, uninterrupted playthroughs between digital files. You either offer up a single, long track, or do light fades between so they don't abruptly start or end.

And I get that this is a bit of a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' situation. Not everyone wants to hear a thirty-to-sixty minute session of music in one go, sometimes content skipping to preferred sections. It's the sort of feature even Pete Namlook realized was a nice point of convenience for the listener, many of his older, hour-long ambient jams broken up for easy CD indexing. That simply isn't doable with digital files though, always that micro-second gap lurking between tracks. Hence, all the fades. (note to producers: it's very annoying when that digital file fade makes its way to a CD copy, just sayin').

So I assume it went with Juan Pablo's Dark Matter session. He ended up crafting an hour-plus long piece, but figured folks wouldn't be interested in a whole outing, so split things up into ten-to-eleven minute chunks. Why split them into two separate releases though? Or maybe there was just the first one, and he carried on with another shortly after? I mean, the fade between Dark Matter 3 and Dark Matter 4 isn't so noticeable – indeed, doze and you'll miss it. And the music of Dark Matter 4, 5, and 6 is distinct enough from 1, 2, and 3 such that they could be considered two separate half-hour tracks. Why am I micro-analyzing such things anyway? I dunno', just find it interesting how artists present their art, especially in the fickle environment that is streaming services.

Anyhow, Dark Matter 1-3 is the most ambient of the lot, mostly spacious pads gently floating along for all your stargazing needs. The whispiest of effects gradually emerge in 2, while twinkling synths finally add a little rhythmic momentum in 3. If you are listening to all six parts in one shot, you'll definitely hear a tonal shift in 4, with slightly busier elements coming and going throughout 5 and 6. Oh, and be prepared for a vocal sample that will rudely knock you out of whatever state of bliss you're feeling, so abrupt and piercing compared to the general tranquility as it is. Also doesn't help it always seems to appear when you're least expecting it.

The 13th Sign - Da Story Never Ends

On Delancey Street: 1996

You want music rabbit holes, you got 'em!

The 13th Sign is a name I recognized via exactly One (1) compilation, the acid-jazzy, trip-hoppy CD from Waveform Records titled Frosty. You might remember it for its distinct cover shot of an ice-encrusted buffalo. Chill-out music indeed. The track included of theirs, Take Me To A Distant Bass, definitely fit the bill of an acid-hop, trip-jazzy excursion, one of those vintage 'nothing's off the table' '90s tunes of sampledelic dub vibes. I quite liked it, but not enough to dig much further into the artist, assuming it just some one-off project by an unknown individual. Well, I was half-right.

The 13th Sign definitely was a one-off, but Chris Bangs is far from an unknown. Or at least, to those well-versed in the UK acid jazz scene. I'm not, only having a passing familiarity with the label Eddie Piller and Gilles Peterson built (and all that followed from it), but as I said, it's a super-massive rabbit hole one can get lost down for quite some time. Shit's over thirty-five years old now!

Anyhow, Chris Bangs was a major contributor for them, releasing multiple albums and singles under multiple aliases and group projects. Names like The Quiet Boys, Break 4 Jazz, Original Soulboy, Extasis, Mr. Electric Triangle (hey, another Frosty track!), Boogie Boy, Galaxy 21, Two Dam Hot, and Yada Yada. When acid jazz' popularity started waning after the turn of the century, he tried getting into the garage and deep house scene (including starting a label called Dadhouse (!)), but that seemed to fizzle out, and he seemingly retired from production after. Oh, and in the middle of all that, he released a trip-hop, illbient-leaning record under the guise of The 13th Sign, as was the style at the time.

This is another one of those albums that deservedly flew under the radar, as trip-hop was getting quite overdone by '96, but ain't half-bad in its own right. Mr. Bangs was far from a slouch in the producer's chair, knowing exactly what sort of samples worked best with what sort of beats and solos, slickly produced with little fuss. Very meat 'n' potatoes stuff, is what I'm saying, that sounds solid as it plays, leaves a nice little impression upon your afternoon, but doesn't really spark much discussion about after. Perfect compilation fodder, is what I'm sayin', and so did Thievery Corporation for their DJ-Kicks CD.

Chris does mix things up though, offering some welcome spice to all the the street-level grooves. Come Off This Trip gets on some freestyle action, Someday gets brisk in its beatcraft hovering near jazzy d'n'b (with acid!), and Back In The Day raids funk's fathers for the b-boy throwdown. Elsewhere, Anthea Clarke gives us the soul singin' in Pressures, while Travis Blaque gives us the conscious rap in 90 Infinity (hmm, I wonder where he got that from?). Again, all solid stuff, but I'm not surprised few know of The 13th Sign's existence.

Cypress Hill - Cypress Hill

Ruffhouse Records: 1991

The only Cypress Hill album you're supposed to have, even if you're not much of a Cypress Hill fan. That's not my opinion, mind you, as I feel they have other records in their discography that surpass this one. And, as someone who has literally listened to every single LP they released, I feel somewhat qualified in making that assessment. What their self-titled debut has, however, is the gritty, street-level aesthetic that can't be recaptured after a group starts going platinum on the sales charts. The hungry spit-n-fire of young talent out to prove themselves worthy of standing in the same arena of all the established names. It's why so many debut hip-hop albums of this era are held in the highest regard - you either fire your best shot first, or get dumped to the dustbin of time.

As I said though, I think what Cypress Hill artistically accomplished on some future albums was even better than what we get here. Still, it's undeniable the group came out damn hot, and if you're strictly all about gangsta' rap sounding as raw and unpolished as can be, then I've no problem with folks proclaiming this is the one true Cypress Hill record above all.

And boy, does this record ever come in hot out the gate. Rappers had been making screeds against cops for a few years already, but none dared to open a debut on the topic, much less show no respect in titling it Pigs. Have I mentioned the Rodney King beating had happened shortly before Cypress Hill dropped?

But yes, the big tune off here is second track How I Could Just Kill A Man, where B-Real and Sen Dog go off on how life on the streets sometimes leads to committing acts you never thought capable of. More than that though, it established the vintage Cypress Hill parlay of Mr. Real chanting the chorus with Mr. Dog offering an earwormy call-and-response. Not to mention proving DJ Muggs had bigger things in mind than just producing basic hip-hop loops, throwing in squealing sirens and an organ breakdown for no other reason than he could. The original single for it though, featured The Phuncky Feel One, one of the tracks that kinda' holds this album back for me, more of a throwback '80s rap tune than featuring anything distinctly Cypress Hill. There's a couple tracks like it on here, such as The Funky Cypress Hill Shit, Real Estate, and Born To Get Busy. Production's still solid, just way more 'vintage' than what Muggs would go on to make.

Same can be said of their nods to weed smoking (Light Another, Stoned Is The Way Of The Walk) and the Latin side of street life (Hole In The Head, Latin Lingo, Tres Equis). They're gritty and unvarnished, but I've heard them make better. I guess it really does boil down to personal preference, which has enabled Cypress Hill to maintain a career for over three decades now. Something for everyone!