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Review: Laurel Halo Behind the Green Door EP
Label: Hyperdub

Laurel Chartow's work as Laurel Halo tends to land between the accessible and the abstract, the spacey and the confrontational. Although very few of her tracks are specifically aimed at DJs, the New York-based artist has acknowledged dance music's influence on her work, citing an early trip to DEMF (she grew up outside of Detroit, in Ann Arbor) as a formative experience. Chartow had an eventful 2012, marked most of all by the release of Quarantine, her debut LP of virtually beatless, ambient avant-pop. She also released Spring, her first truly dancefloor-oriented EP, under the moniker King Felix, as well as the "Sunlight on the Faded," a single which combined her vocal stylings with overt references to juke and drum & bass. Chartow is adept at balancing these interests over the course of a song or record, but Behind the Green Door, her latest EP, continues with the trend of compartmentalizing. Read more » 

  • Filed under: review
  • 05/20/2013

Review: _Unsubscribe_ Spek Hondje EP
Label: Houndstooth

At one point during the mid '90s, radio legend John Peel bestowed upon Dave Clarke the title of "The Baron of Techno." The nickname has stuck ever since. And though the aughts weathered his legacy some, Clarke and his contributions to the genre during the decade prior have proven to be integral in dictating the current landscape of UK techno; his output from the period rivals that of grandfathered icons like Luke Slater and Surgeon. As such, fledgling Fabric offshoot Houndstooth seems like a curious choice to release the debut from _Unsubscribe_, a duo comprised of Clarke and studio partner Mr. Jones. Despite some history with the seminal London club—particularly, his 2011 entry into the Fabric mix series—Clarke doesn't seem like the obvious choice to follow up Call Super's inaugural release for Houndstooth. Whereas that EP was amorphous and understated, Spek Hondje is truly anything but. Read more » 

  • Filed under: review
  • 05/17/2013

Review: Paula Temple Colonized EP
Label: R&S

Colonized, Paula Temple's first release since 2006 and her debut EP for R&S, finds the producer, DJ, and hardware engineer exploring the starker, more punishing edges of powerful warehouse techno. It's an effort that finds her diving fearlessly into aggressive percussion and arresting industrial instrumentation, resulting in some effective, no-holds-barred dancefloor monsters. Read more » 

  • Filed under: review
  • 05/17/2013

Review: Steffi Panorama Bar 05
Label: Ostgut Ton

It's hard to tell exactly what the point of a commercial mix CD is in this day and age. Lower costs of travel and a proliferation of free, high-quality podcasts have caused the once important medium to lose much of its potency. Yet there remains a compelling aspect to certain lingering institutions, especially when it comes to the expression of a feeling or style particular to a geographic location. Of the existent labels still producing mix CDs, Ostgut Ton's Berghain and Panorama Bar series are certainly at or near the top. The steady trickle of releases issued by these two outposts over the years has acted as official dossiers for the current sound of Friedrichshain's dance mecca. Panorama Bar 05, the latest offering, is a consistently well-crafted snapshot of the dancefloor as presided over by long-time resident DJ Steffi. Read more » 

  • Filed under: review
  • 05/16/2013

Review: Glimpse True South EP
Label: Aus

Much like last year's "Fat Controller" collaboration with Martin Dawson, "True South," the title track of the latest release from longstanding London producer Glimpse, is a swaggering house cut built around a chugging rhythm which makes an instant impression. Where the aforementioned 2012 tune built its hook around a heavyweight bass riff, however, "True South" grabs the listener's attention with a simplistically infectious beat constructed out of gigantic, brooding floor toms. It slowly ramps up into a churning, spartan groove, one fleshed out by minimal bass hits, no-nonsense drum-machine patterns, and a cocky spoken-word vocal goading the listener into dancefloor action. It's relatively bare-bones stuff, but there's a raw, almost primal drive at the heart of "Truth South" that leaves a lasting effect. Read more » 

  • Filed under: review
  • 05/16/2013

Review: Pev & Hodge "Bells (System Mix)" b/w "Bells (Dream Sequence)"

Pick
Label: Punch Drunk

On the surface, the two versions of "Bells" that appear on each side of the latest Punch Drunk 12" do precisely what their titles suggest. "Bells (System Mix)"—which has been kicking about in mixes for a few months now—is fully geared-up for club scenarios, a production driven by thick sub-bass hits designed to create chest-rattling low-end pressure. "Bells (Dream Sequence)," meanwhile, is a more sedate and ethereal take on the same theme, one which trades the bass weight for muted house rhythms and melodic synth chords. There is, of course, more to it than that, though. Few producers can experiment with low end quite as skillfully as Peverelist, and his ability to finesse every part of the frequency spectrum turns this collaboration with rising Bristolian talent Hodge into something far more fulfilling than merely a club track with an accompanying headphone mix. Read more » 

  • Filed under: review
  • 05/15/2013

Review: Youandewan Times EP
Label: Secretsundaze

Judging from his slow-but-steady career, Youandewan could easily be characterized as a producer who is in no particular rush. Though the frequency of his releases has certainly increased this year, this follows a long period of silence from the Leeds-based DJ/producer, which seems like a sign that the man is willing to take his time. But perhaps an even better indication of Youandewan's patience is the gradual pace with which his productions themselves come together, a trait readily displayed throughout the four elongated offerings heard on the producer's new EP for the Secretsundaze label. Read more » 

  • Filed under: review
  • 05/15/2013

Review: JD Twitch Optimo: The Underground Sound of Glasgow
Label: Glasgow Underground

Eclectic DJ/production duo Optimo is made up of Jonnie Wilkes and Keith McIvor (a.k.a. JD Twitch), the latter of which is resonsible for mixing Optimo: The Underground Sound of Glasgow. And there probably couldn't have been a better choice for the task, as the resulting compilation makes for a brilliant introduction to the diverse, unusual, and often underrated electronic scene in Glasgow. Read more » 

  • Filed under: review
  • 05/14/2013

Review: Bibio Silver Wilkinson
Label: Warp

Six LPs into the career of prolific British producer Stephen Wilkinson (a.k.a. Bibio), and his palette seems to have solidified. Any fan knows what to expect on a given Bibio record: Pastoral English folk processed through analog tape, chopped up and threaded into a canvas of warm pop, carefully constructed melodies, and beat experiments. Silver Wilkinson, the artist's latest album, continues to refine the aesthetic; the record fits neatly in the progression of his two most recent efforts, the disjointed Mind Bokeh and 2009's excellent Ambivalence Avenue. But while Silver Wilkinson is mostly more of what's come to be expected from the artist, it manages to sound more like a true psych-pop record than Bibio has ever come before. Read more » 

  • Filed under: review
  • 05/14/2013
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