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Review: Mu-Ziq XTEP EP
Label: Planet Mu

According to the press materials for μ-Ziq's first studio release in five years, the XTEP EP finds Planet Mu boss Mike Paradinas abandoning "the furrow-browed quest for cutting-edge exploration" in favor of a creative process focused on pure enjoyment. It comes as little surprise, then, to find that the record—which arrives ahead of a forthcoming summer album—comprises five tracks of unabashedly carefree, nostalgic, and readily accessible electronic music. Fortunately, what μ-Ziq's latest lacks in daring originality, it largely makes up in for in melodic joyfulness and sheer likeability. Read more » 

  • Filed under: review
  • 05/24/2013

Review: Sei A 10 EP
Label: Seinan

Often in his career, Sei A (a.k.a. Andy Graham) has been categorized as a tech-house producer, and while his earliest efforts may have fit that mold a bit better, the tag really does the man's current work a disservice. Perhaps due to their brilliantly clean and direct production, Sei A's tunes can lend themselves to a somewhat "techy" sound, but in the past two years or so, his efforts have taken shape as a consistently evolving hybrid between bass, techno, and house. Now, after a gap in releases, Sei A has reluanched his own Seinan imprint—co-run alongside Logan—with a muscular three-track outing that follows last year's strong efforts on Turbo, Kompakt Extra, and Aus sister label Simple. Read more » 

  • Filed under: review
  • 05/24/2013

Review: MGUN If You're Reading This EP
Label: Don't Be Afraid

It's hard to tell whether or not there's a method to the madness that is the new EP by Manuel Gonzales (a.k.a. MGUN). Given the DJ/producer's comparably frazzled releases for Trilogy Tapes and Wild Oats, it's easy to assume that he knows exactly what he's doing. In terms of unabashed discord, however, Gonzales' prior efforts don't touch the material on If You're Reading This. Sure, elements of this sound can be traced through like-minded Detroit analog gods (Terrence Dixon in particular), but MGUN's new record ventures even further into the realms of experimental techno. Read more » 

  • Filed under: review
  • 05/23/2013

Review: Phon.o "Schn33" b/w "Go"
Label: 50Weapons

Phon.o generally brings a little more concentration and heat to his 12"s than his albums. The UK-influenced German producer's latest single for 50Weapons is no exception; "Schn33" b/w "Go" contains some of his strongest—and most straightforward—dancefloor material to date. Read more » 

  • Filed under: review
  • 05/23/2013

Review: George FitzGerald "Thinking of You" b/w "Nighttide Lover"
Label: Hotflush

A few years ago, Scuba began steering his Hotflush label away from the dubstep-oriented structures it was known for, and allowed his roster to evolve into a team of artists who explore a variety of sounds, including brightly colored house and smooth techno. ManMakeMusic head honcho George FitzGerald has played a notable role in that development, and his latest 12" for Hotflush delves deeper into moody warehouse vibes than any of his previous records to date. Read more » 

  • Filed under: review
  • 05/22/2013

Review: RP Boo Legacy
Label: Planet Mu

RP Boo (a.k.a. Kavain Space) is often credited for helping to create the footwork genre with his 1997 tune "Baby Come On." Legacy is actually RP Boo's first-ever full-length release, but his prowess as a producer is readily apparent here. Simply put, the tunes on Legacy don't move quite like anything else within this sound, and the LP quickly displays just how inadequate many producers—particularly those outside of the Windy City—are when adopting juke and footwork as their own. Read more » 

  • Filed under: review
  • 05/22/2013

Review: Kode9 Rinse: 22
Label: Rinse

Rinse: 22 opens with a solid four minutes of Burial's somberly triumphant "Truant," but the hit of atmosphere is a red herring. With the exception of its introduction, Kode9's mix is a neon blur that tears through various UK styles before concluding with a tour through his recent obsessions. Certainly, this is by design: Consistent with the Hyperdub boss' recent XLR8R Pick'd "Xingfu Lu" b/w "Kan" 12", the DJ/producer born Steve Goodman lets his footwork fetish dominate the latter half of his set. (DJ Rashad alone shows up eight times here.) The transition is a bit jarring at first, even running the risk of seeming haphazard, but repeated listens reveal the keen curatorial skills that have kept Hyperdub on the top of the heap for the better part of a decade. Read more » 

  • Filed under: review
  • 05/21/2013

Review: Koreless Yugen EP
Label: Young Turks

In a curious sort of way, Yugen, the most significant release to date from Glasgow producer Lewis Roberts (a.k.a Koreless), feels cruder and more simplistic than anything we've heard from him before. Rather than fleshing out the sound he established on early tracks like "Up Down, Up Down" and "MTI," Roberts has opted to reduce his music down to its most essential elements. Drum beats, which already took a secondary role in his compositions, have been all but done away with here, leaving just a core assemblage of rough, rhythmic samples and thick, minor-key synth melodies. It's an effective formula though, and one that provides the EP with sounds that are emotive and anthemic in a raw, immediate way. Read more » 

  • Filed under: review
  • 05/21/2013

Review: Hyetal Modern Worship
Label: True Panther

Broadcast, the debut album from Bristol's David Corney (a.k.a Hyetal), linked its producer to a specific sound, a template which has stuck with him for better or worse. It was effectively an extension of the ideas that Corney brought together on his excellent 2010 single "Phoenix," an amalgamation of bombastic '80s drums and John Carpenter synths as filtered through shoegazey song structures and a production style indebted to the purple sounds of his town's dubstep community. While this nostalgic sound palette was hardly unique, Corney managed to pull it off with a level of conviction and songwriting prowess that set him apart from the bulk of his retro-inclined peers. Broadcast did, however, seem like it was a little too attached to this core formula—sometimes sounding more like variations on a theme rather than a full-fleged LP. It's pleasing, then, that Hyetal's second album finds him pushing those ideas a bit further whilst remaining rooted to the winning aesthetic of his debut. Read more » 

  • Filed under: review
  • 05/20/2013
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