PARTIAL ARTS - Taifa - Kompakt Records

Returning to the Kompakt fold after the much-acclaimed 12" releases TRAUERMUSIK (KOMPAKT 149) and TELESCOPE (KOMPAKT 171), Ewan Pearson and Al Usher aka PARTIAL ARTS continue their adventure in the borderlands of kraut disco and romantic house: with TAIFA, the two renowned producers present another wonderfully undulating, pop-bred jam backed up by a vibrant floor rework from the master of analogue head games Andrew Meecham aka THE EMPEROR MACHINE.
TAIFA starts off with a somewhat oceanic feeling, thanks to its opening set of sunny guitar licks glistening to the backdrop of whale-like drones. Soon, a friendly shaking beat joins the proceedings and triggers all kinds of melodic synth flourishes, held together by the cut's rolling groove and its penchant for sonic metamorphosis.
Just like the Radio slave and Alter Ego revamps (on "Trauermusik" and "Telescope") before it, the EMPEROR MACHINE EXTENDED MIX takes things in a decidedly energetic direction, making skilled use of hypnotic sequencing and charged drumming to rough up the original's laid-back vibe in the most alluring manner.
Ewan Pearson and Al Usher both have illustrious paths as producers, mixers and remixersbut rarely release their own productions.This is their third release for KOMPAKT, the first since 2008’s “Telescope” (KOMPAKT 171).
Ewan Pearson has had an amazing year behind the scenes having recently finished studio production and mixing work for new albums from Jagwar Ma, TV Baby & Ben Watt. With nearly 100 remixes under his belt he has already reworked Tensnake (feat. Nile Rodgers), Röyksopp and S.R. Krebs in just this year!
Emperor Machine delivers one of the biggest acid tracks you will hear this year following his recent smash remix for Erol Alkan on Phantasy.


Tracklist:

A. Taifa
B. Taifa (Emperor Machine Extended Mix)

GUILLAUME & THE COUTU DUMONT - The Fight Within - Circus Company

Dear Listeners,

Here it is, one more 'gain, yours truly up at bat for the good people of the Circus Company. I thought I could drop a few lines myself about the inspiration behind this new EP to offer a lil' personal touch..

A Single String

So I'm light years away from being a specialist on the string theory but the idea of having everything and everyone interconnected by vibrations appeals to the imagination of the musician (and the dirty hippie) in me. Sharing a sunrise on a terrace or a hot and sweaty night in a club is all about this vibration. "A single string" is dedicated to that feeling, the one that makes you think : "wow, we're all in this together". It rolls, it bounces, and that synth line will hopefully make your little fingers reach up for the stars, and strings.

Keys for Hanuman

This one will be a personal mystery until the day I die. Last fall I returned from an Asia tour to work on some new music in the studio, at first I did as always after a hiatus in production and listened to the last stuff I was working on before I left. And though I have a relatively organized numbering system and decent memory (which may be on the downhill now due to mileage), I had no recollection whatsoever about starting, recording, or even thinking about this tune, at the time titled "Keys For Me". Regardless, it hits the spot just right as I had been thinking about coming back to this sound I used to love years back - more relaxed and stripped down, more hypnotic. Every artist channels inspiration in their own way, and sometimes it rains on you from unknown places. This song is dedicated to Hanuman, the Monkey God, faithful protector of Rama. And by the way, Hanuman also appears on the great cover artwork by Léo "Peanut" Butler.

Winning all the Battles (But Still Losing the War)

I remember a time when we all wanted was to be heard. It seems to me that this time has surely come, but somehow along the way, we may have lost some pieces of the core values that gave us our stride. Time to go back to the essential? Refocus our act? Step out of the limelight and dive deep into the stuffy, obscure, low-ceiling groove box? Maybe so. Winning while losing? Maybe no.


Tracklist:

A1. A Single String
A2. Keys For Hanuman
B1. Winning All Battles (But Still Losing The War)

THE EMPEROR MACHINE - Like a Machine - Southern Fried Records

Following on from two hugely well received EPs on Southern Fried Records in 2013, the imprint is to release the highly anticipated, next full length offering from electronic explorer, Andy Meecham AKA The Emperor Machine.
Since his last LP as The Emperor Machine, ‘Space Beyond The Egg’, Meecham has been busy on plenty of other essential projects: as well as appearing on the Boiler Room, the so called ‘King of the Weirdigans’ has worked with Erol Alkan (on the Future Four project released on Phantasy Sound) and disco king Todd Terje (Todd programmed the System 700 on the ‘So.Ma.So’ track on the LP) and has been remixed by both Andrew Weatherall and Ewan Pearson.
Meecham however makes it clear that albums are still where his heart is at, as he looks to the release of his fourth LP, “I prefer to make albums as The Emperor Machine. I like to go a bit weirder, which I think you can on an album. I've hooked up with a vocalist on this record and it’s brought another dimension to the sound.” That added dimension brings a further layer of emotion with an LP that balances beautifully constructed songs with Meecham’s much loved electronic audio manipulation.
The album, complete with stunning original art work, kicks off with the fizzing, dirty and indie leaning sonics of ‘Theme From Magical Ring’ which is captivating from the off. Dramatic and epic in equal measure, the album goes on to include a punky, tortured version of the previously released single/title track before sinking into a dubbed out, guitar licked disco groove awash with shimmering synths and Studio 54 dazzle.
Meecham proves his exceptional range throughout the album thanks to tracks like the kicking, vocal led punk-funk-disco jam that is ‘Voices’, the sexy, sultry groove of ‘Pop The Lid’ and insular, broken beat stumbles of the echo drenched ‘Let The Bombs Fall’ with its richly harmonic vocal refrains and acid twitches.
This is another hugely textured, dynamic and multi-layered ride into the psychedelic sound world of The Emperor Machine that might just be his most complete work yet. With a new live show, a single forthcoming featuring Erol Alkan on remix duties and a special limited vinyl version of the album being released for Record Store Day (plus a deluxe version featuring a previously unreleased album called 'Return Of The Egg') there is much to look forward to from The Emperor Machine.


Tracklist:

1. Theme From Magical Ring
2. Like A Machine
3. RMI is All I want
4. The Point
5. La Llorona
6. Voices
7. Hey!
8. So.Ma.So
9. Sonique
10. Pop The Lid
11. Eighty Three
12. Let The Bombs fall

TEMPELHOF & GIGI MASIN - Hoshi LP - Hell Yeah Recordings

This June will see Tempelhof return to Hell Yeah Recordings, this time teaming up with Italian legend Gigi Masin for the ‘Hoshi’ L.P. ‘’Hell Yeah is proud to announce the release of Hoshi, another exciting full-length album project that again involves the talented Tempelhof, this time in association with legendary Italian composer, director and musician Gigi Masin.
Fellow Italians Luciano Ermondi and Paolo Mazzacani are known for their hugely musical electronica and late last year released Frozen Dancers, their most recent album on Hell Yeah. It was a master class in spacious and emotive sound that was a joy to get lost in.
For this next album, the pair team up with legendary producer Gigi Masin, who played a key role in his country’s music scene from the 1970s onwards on radio, on television and in theatre with his directorial work. Always a fine source of inspiration for newer generations, the likes of Bjork and To Rococo Rot have been known to sample Masin’s sumptuous sounds before now. Together, then, Masin and Tempelhof make perfect sense as a musical partnership as this album proves across the course of its 10 elegant tracks. The album is an exploration of peaceful ambient, of organic musical textures and brain soothing soundscapes that are as classically informed, as they are contemporarily creative. Some pieces are floating and beat-less and suspend you right at their centre, whilst others are driven by light dustings of percussion from far off in the distance.
Words like water, heaven and peaceful spring to mind when listening to this album – its truly evocative and spacious, elegant and vast in its design. Like the synth delights of Vangelis, this album spreads out in all directions – sometimes synths are joined by sombre twinkling pianos, at other times more real life found sounds or occasionally the sound of distant, drifting voices.
Despite the serenity of this album, it’s also a piece or work that really takes you somewhere: as such it’s too moving and emotive to be truly ambient as it retains your attention from start to finish. Come the end you feel like you’ve been meditating in your own world, free from the distractions of life… it’s that peerless craftsmanship from Tempelhof and Gigi Masin that make this album such a breath taking triumph.
Andrea Amaducci, as always, is at the artwork controls.’’


Tracklist:

A1 Jolla
A2 The Dwarf
A3 My Velvet Book
A4 Red Venus
A5 Interstellar Bop
B1 Buena Onda
B2 Silver Wave
B3 Joe Jordan
B4 Bow Down
B5 She Left Home

QUANTUM ENTANGLEMENT feat. FINK & MENTRIX - Acid Thunder / Need You - Vakant

For the second instalment from Quantum Entanglement we delve into the misty past, a time when moving parts ruled the dance, when the power of the night rested on a needle and a bassline, and before CDJs calculated the bpm for you...you had to touch things, buy things, and the bassline ruled over all.
Acid Thunder, a classic by Fast Eddie, was the first dance record i ever bought. It was important. The guy who sold it to me, at the time a spotty school kid in his school uniform, was called John Stapleton, and the shop was Sidetrax in Bristol. Mentrix totally gets the kinda NY sluttiness of the original, and brings it right up to date....less of a cover, more of a homage, the entanglement of then and now.
Need You is an entanglement of two very unlikely BFFs... John Lee Hooker and Joey Beltram. This isn't really a cover, it's more like the offspring of many things, times, and moments - it's like the grandchild of John Lee Hooker's track dated the nephew of Joey Beltram's track and lived in Neukölln. Again, Direct - "Techno Gone Mad" on R&S was another of my earliest techno purchases - at the time it was considered "Dutch Hardcore" but now, it's almost cute....

Tracklist:

A)    Quantum Entanglement – Acid Thunder feat. Mentrix
AA) Quantum Entanglement – Need You feat. Fink

BOOT AND TAX - Fusci Ep - Optimo Trax

Boot & Tax return with their second EP following the success of the sold out "Acido" EP which received a multitude of plays from a plethora of djs in a profusion of discotheques.
These Milanese maestros deliver four dance floor delights in their own inimitable and distinctive style. Working across a range of tempos and incorporating more of Boot's great vocalising they also manage to weave a Jaw's Harp solo in there and make it seem like a potential replacement for the TB 303.
This also takes us to 50% of Optimo Trax so far being of Italian origin. We're not entirely sure how this happened but despite rumours to the contrary, we are open to releasing music from other countries within or outwith the EU.

Optimo Trax OT 008 is released on 12" and digital June 2014. Distribution by Kompakt and Rub A Dub.


Tracklist:

A1 - Fusci
A2 - Confuzed House
B1 - Occhi Blu
B2 - Il Canto

CHRISTIAN LOEFFLER - All Comes / Notes - Ki Records

Before his upcoming extended EP Christian Löffler returns with this seven inch sized record. Just like its unusual format this release features two unique pieces of music and an artwork created by Löffler himself.
As on his debut album “A Forest“, he teamed up once more with Danish vocalist Gry Bagøien. The result is an outstanding and beautiful house track born by her fairylike singing and gloomy chord stabs. A more than worthy follow-up to their first collaboration, “Feelharmonia” on the debut album,
The B-side to the vinyl is a dark interpretation of Löffler’s work. As a massive fan of Monokle, who has previously released on Ki-Records, Christian was very happy to have him remix “Notes”. With his very own aesthetics Monokle gives it his sinister touch establishing himself as one of the most interesting remixers around.
The original track “Notes” will appear on the upcoming Christian Löffler EP.


Tracklist:


1 - All Comes
2 - Notes (Monokle Remix)