It's been awhile since i've seen anyone post a batch of reviews (except for Tom Churchill), and i just got inspired enough with my last few purchases that i thought i'd write up a few.
Umek- Mumps E-L (Tortured) i'm not a fan of billy nasty's label nor umek's hard, minimal style but there's something about this doublepack that does it for me. maybe it's that he's managed to keep it tough while hinting at more of a tech house feel, plus it's fairly varied. there's an electro track that sets it off that's nice and pumping but w/ a stiffness that makes it seem electro only in the sense that it's a breakbeat. elsewhere, he comes up with a couple banging techno club stompers w/clarke kind of keyboard vamps and evolving percussion, lots of nice drum fills and stuttered bass kicks. the house feels turns up on the others, which admittedly imitates the grain/user/sims tracks to a degree but a little fuller sound that goes somewhere. a good bargain for 8 tracks. Biostructure EP (VMax) This is one label from detroit that never seems to get much recognition. plus i hardly ever see their records in the shops, so i snatched this one. a very unique electro sound pervades on "9851" with tight drum programming, v8-bass motor, and echoing synth notes. the flip's "9853"offers some squelchy acid etheral techno with swinging bass breaks that is very fast, think derrick may on speed and steroids. "9854" is also extremely fast with more darker electro monotone qualities. Recloose - "Can't Take It" (Planet E) i can't say enough about this record. "can't take it" picks up where Spelunking left off, in other words classy, funky electronic music. "Can't take it" is a chunky slice of electro/house/hip-hop with a sweet soul vocal that gets the effects treatment. very melodic but extremely danceable, this will tear up a dancefloor. "absence of one" enters into chill territory with elements of dub, soul, jazz combining into a graceful piece of music. this guy is really coming into his own. Freaks - The Beat Diaries (mff) the debut album from the freaks doesn't get as freaky as the name implies but still delivers some smooth and funky music. the standouts are the house tunes while the slower tracks come off kind of weak. the single "turning orange" turns up, but the real gems are "Mysteries.com" with its fat bassline and pretty fluttering melody and "Dance and Disorder," with a vicious bassline, keyboard stabs, african chanting and completely unexpected African drum breakdown. even "Discorobot" starts off sounding like it has KdJ's number but it takes a bad turn at the end when they embellish it w/unnecessary organ lines. but you've got to give it to them for taking some chances. -- Kuri Kondrak Resonance Magazine
