STOCK, HAUSEN AND WALKMAN - Giving Up With (1993)

An idiot working for AMG described this masterpiece of sabotage-music this way:

Perfect for listeners with a mischievous attitude concerning the plunder of rock-radio staples and obscure comedy/instructional LPs, Giving Up is a fragmented collection of samples and found sounds. With almost 60 tracks on the CD configuration, the album definitely suffers from its producers' lack of attention span. It's barely listenable more than once, but an interesting curiosity.

Well, he's wrong: this is tremendously fun, its dynamics survived a reasonable span of time (15 years), and it is still, together with the first volume of Organ Transplants, one of the band's finest achievements. Covering Bach, Swans, Bambi, Kylie, the Complaints Department, all sorts of library sounds and what not, this is surely some of the most engaging sound-art you'll ever hear. It includes 60 tracks, obviously meant for random reproduction. And it even features an audio collage-cum-reflection on the meaning of "me" and ego in pop music. What else do you need? Good reviews from AMG?

This post is a co-production of BRAVO JUJU and DOUBLE AVENUE

>>> Link320

STOCK, HAUSEN UND WALKMAN - Ventilating Deer (1997)

Displaying the band's lighter side, this album probably inaugurates Stock, Hausen & Walkman's third (and last) career phase. Having worked for some years on the fringes of noise, found-soundology and plunderphonia, the band moved on to the brilliant Organ Transplants Vol. 1, where their sampling virtuosity and humor produced one of the most compelling (and truly passionate) tributes to lounge music and hammond havoc in the history of music. In the second half of the 90s, the band was caught by the electronica hype and went on to produce some of the nastiest drum'n'bass exercises under the guise of Dummy Run. Ventilating Deer is somehow caught between the worlds of Organ Transplants and Dummy Run, being more reminiscent of People Like Us than of Christian Marclay. A fine addition to the discography of a historic band which produced not only music, but also a history of music.

This post is a co-production of BRAVO JUJU & DOUBLE AVENUE

>>> Link320

ANTIPOP CONSORTIUM - Arrhythmia (2002)

It's a brilliant fusion between hip-hop and electronica. And although some of the beats are complex, much of the mix is quite minimal. There are rarely more than three elements being mixed at once, which makes it much easier to concentrate on the relentlessly seeping lyrical flows. The balance feels flawless, since the beats and loops brought forth sound very inventive, well-crafted, and on point.

Although the Antipop Consortium will throw hip-hop heads a curve ball, it is nothing that a true fan of hip-hop wouldn't enjoy. It gorgeously represents an inventive minimal approach of familiar elements, which showcases their impressive and unique rhyme styles brilliantly. Definitely a keeper. Alan Pounds >>> Link320

RAZ MESINAI'S (BADAWI) - Unit Of Resistance (2007)

“Unit Of Resistance” is a collaboration between a handful of NYC musicians (laying down tracks of protest in 2004) and a selection of international DJ’s and mixers interpreting these tracks two years later. The story of how this unusual collaboration came together is written about in the liner notes and made even more captivating by the accompanying music. After over a year of international touring Raz found a handful of DJ’s/Musicians to take the music created that one fateful day and to create their own unique tracks. Raz set up a sophisticated web of information via the internet to allow the mixers access to prima material and to do with it as they wished. Perhaps the end result is conspiratorial music raising a lone flag or perhaps it is many different flags being raised jointly. Power to the people." >>> Link320

SI BEGG - Jetlag and Tinnitus - Part One (2006)

"Jetlag and trinnitus Reworks is a collection of tracks road-tested and developed by Si Begg over his last two years of gigging around the world. They are his idiosyncratic definition of dancefloor fillers. These are not tracks you will have heard on TV-advertised compilations or being hammered in Ibiza. They are tunes direct from a global electronic underground, from nights with no big name DJs and un-restrictive music policies.

This kind of music has no name and refuses to be defined. It doesn't go top 40, it probably wont win any music industry awards. But it is loved by a passionate group of people across all ages, races and genders tired of a music industry paralysed by nostalgia." >>> Link320

Side A - My Style

Side B - Non Stop Cut Paste

SOUL CENTER - I (1999)

Based in Cologne, Brinkmann is one of Germany's most respected minimalist techno producers. The former art student is something of a recluse, although he has collaborated with fellow dub-techno pioneers Mike Ink and the Basic-Channel collective. Brinkmann usually records on his own WvB Enterprises label, under a number of different monikers including Max, Soul Center, Max.Ernst, Ester Brinkmann, Suppose and Ernst. His dub-inspired sound has been described as "funk-charged electronic music". Calling his experimental remix projects "variations", he has produced work for Ink, Richie Hawtin, Depeche Mode, Cari Lekebusch, Echoboy, Pluramen, Akufen, Christian Morgenstern and Tied and Tickled Trio. In 2002, he signed a deal with the UK's NovaMute Records label and released the third in his Soul Center series. NME >>> Link320

RICHIE HAWTIN - Decks, EFX & 909 (1999)

Decks, EFX & 909 is a taste of this experience. Moving between deep techno (Jeff Mills, Surgeon), funky house (Ben Sims, Baby Ford) and blissed-out dub washes (M5, Rhythm & Sound from Basic Channel), Hawtin effortlessly blends sound into sound, continually modifying along the way. A selection of tracks it may be, yet Hawtin transforms the whole experience into an original form, bringing his own recording experience into the DJ equation. An album as equally potent in the living room or on the dance floor, Decks, EFX & 909 is a masterful piece of work, a shining example of how a DJ mix album should be. >>> Link320

MARTIN REV - Martin Rev (2002)

ROIR is proud to release Martin Rev’s self-titled solo debut album, originally released in 1979 on Charles Ball’s Lust/Unlust label, now with 5 bonus tracks (3 unreleased & exclusive). Rev is best known for his confrontational work with Alan Vega as Suicide; considered one of the most influential bands of the last 30 years. This record, somewhere between the harsh sound of Rev’s early work with Suicide and his more melodic, solo material ("See Me Ridin’"), is concrete evidence of how influential Rev’s dirty American-motorik music really was.

All songs written & performed by Martin Rev. All compositions produced by Charles Ball & Martin Rev. Tracks 1-6 originally appeared on vinyl (Lust/Unlust Records 1980). Liner Notes by Steve Barker (The Wire UK). >>> Link320

We™ - As Is (1997)

We™ members Ignacio Platas (Once 11), Rich Panciera (Lloop) and Gregor Asch (DJ Olive), met in 1991 while living in Brooklyn, during the infamous Brooklyn underground party scene in Williamsburg playing at, and producing, many of the most memorable Brooklyn warehouse after-hours environments of that period.
We™ 97 release "as is" can be considered a classic. We opened for the Orb that spring. Their 3rd release, "decentertainment" landed them at Barcelona's Sonar '99. they have been talking about a new record in '06.
Their first track appeared on Word Sound's compilation Crooklyn Dub Consortium, Vol. 1 in 1994. The group signed with Asphodel and released their debut LP, "As Is" in the spring of 1997. The Square Root of Minus One followed in 1999, with Decentertainment appearing on Home Entertainment one year later.
"As Is" was recorded at The Bloody Angle Compound, San Francisco, California in November & December 1996. >>> Link320

SI BEGG - Jetlag and Tinnitus Reworks .Limited Vinyl Edition (2007)

"Jetlag and trinnitus Reworks is a collection of tracks road-tested and developed by Si Begg over his last two years of gigging around the world. They are his idiosyncratic definition of dancefloor fillers. These are not tracks you will have heard on TV-advertised compilations or being hammered in Ibiza. They are tunes direct from a global electronic underground, from nights with no big name DJs and un-restrictive music policies.

This kind of music has no name and refuses to be defined. It doesn't go top 40, it probably wont win any music industry awards. But it is loved by a passionate group of people across all ages, races and genders tired of a music industry paralysed by nostalgia." >>> Link320

A1 - My Style (Si Begg Bleep Steppers Mix)

A2 - Non Stop Cut Paste (Jacob London Mix)

B1 - My Style (Kawatins Mix)

B2 - My Style (Si Begg VIP)

CONTINUOUS MODE - Disinformation Design (2001)

Working at Berlin's Dubplates & Mastering in the early '90s, Mellwig became an expert of vinyl cutting and mastering, setting new standards and playing a crucial role in the development of the Berlin-based Basic Channel/Chain Reaction axis. In 1995, he released a self-titled disc by his Async Sense project on Moritz "Maurizio" Von Oswald's Imbalance label. Mellwig also formed a partnership with Thomas Koner in the '90s as Porter Ricks; the duo released a number of crucial singles on Chain Reaction (Biokinetics) and revamped their sound for a number of post-Chain Reaction singles on Force Inc.

Continuous Mode was issued in 1997 by Chain Reaction; the alias popped up again during 1999 as he began issuing his material through Klang. Using the sound of latter day Porter Ricks as a foundation, Mellwig's layered, up-tempo material showed inspiration from the likes of Suicide and Krautrock without really directly referencing either. 2001 saw the issue of Disinformation Design on Klang, which compiled his first singles for the label. A. Kellman >>> Link320

MONOLAKE - Plumbicon Versions (2006)

Long awaited cd issue of Monolake's killer Plumbicon remixes project. First up is minimal techno's man of the moment Sleeparchive who weighs in with exactly the kind of stripped killer you'd expect, all Sahko inspired sine tone bleeps coupled with Henke's tight electronic drum sounds, crisp and shockingly good. The Rebreather mix comes next and is immense - all sweeping strings, delayed bass tones, thick synthesized patterns and crisp percussion - the entire track could have been layered over any number of eye popping visual sequences and would have made for a breathless soundtrack of the finest kind. Following on from this the Dedbeat mix could easily have been inconsequential but the Scape stalwart manages to turn in a dubbed out rewire that brings to mind Rhythm and Sound at their most electronic or Pole at his most complex. Great stuff all round, and I shouldn't forget that the cd contains an exclusive 10 minute mix from the man Henke himself! >>> Link320

DEADBEAT - Journeyman's Annual (2007)

The BASS arrangements here are fearsome, and although the templates are lifted straight of Monteith's dusted old DUB handbook, there are percussive touches and sub-frequency wobbles that have a much more progressive audience in mind...

...Certainly the heaviest of all the Deadbeat releases to date, and one of Scape's finest achievements in some time - Journeyman's Annual is one of the most developed low-end transmissions and is a must for followers of dub, dubstep and BASS musics generally. Essential... >>> Link320

TRESOR.135 - Demo Tracks (1999)

Demos, demos, demos. For aspiring musicians and studio hopefuls... Demo Tracks 1999 is a first-of-its-kind compilation in a series representing a strong group of visionaries whose music speaks for itself. Regardless of their background or location. Many of the tracks are the artists‘ debut recordings, sent to Tresor during the course of 1999 on an assortment of audio cassettes, DAT‘s and CD-R‘s, featuring an equal variety of styles ranging from minimal constructions to stomping clubtracks. The pack was purposely built with the DJ in mind: straight-up Techno tools for the dancefloor.

Featuring: Kijitora, Jeremdam, SG3, Hiroaki Iizuka, Restructured, Joel Pons, The Sense, Quäker, Pep & Stassy, Christian Bloch and Bo V.

Link320 (Part I)

Link320 (Part II)

ELLIOT SHARP : Tectonics - Field & Stream (1997)

Manhattan guitarist Elliott Sharp is best known for his work with the avant- hardcore band, Carbon. Playing obtuse, mathematical compositions on his customized doubleneck guitarbass, Sharp is certainly not headed toward top-40 radio anytime soon. Taking a primarily solo route on Field & Stream, Sharp melds his distinctive guitar methods with an investigation in computer-processed sound and rhythmic drum programs. Filtering jazz, industrial rock, and modern electronica together is no easy task, but Sharp has been condensing unusual musical alternatives since the late '70s and has little problem here. Adding reconfigured bits of tenor saxophone onto his wailing, synthesized guitar and automated percussion anticipates progressive jazz for the 21st century. Elliott Sharp's instrumental music is both an intellectual and visceral experience. Mitch Myers

Link320 (Part I) + Link320 (Part II)

WORDSOUND - The Red Shift (1994)

The Red Shift, compilation of label talent, charts a course through urban back streets, up mystical peaks, down the Nile, and into outer space. Freely mixing hip-hop, dub, funk, jazz, rock, Middle Eastern and African music, this album showcases sonic sculptures fashioned from the infinite world of sound. Featured artists run the gamut from cutting-edge hip-hop producer Prince Paul, who creates an aural collage from the turntables on Pablo's Theme , to the mighty voice of Jamaican dub poet Oku Onuora, spouting fiery wisdom on Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Rising from the post-industrial ruins of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, new outfits Roots Control and Scarab also participate in the festivities as they stake their claim as the future stars of Subterranea... WORDSOUND

Link320 (Part I)

Link320 (Part II)

BACK FOR BASICS - John Tejada & Arian Leviste’s (2005)

John Tejada and Arian Leviste’s first full lengh Collaboration since their ace “Fairfax Sake” on Playhouse in 2003 and easily their best release to date. Those of you into Tejada’s deep hyrid House productions will adore this, all finely honed basslines and shimmering melodies that never cross that line marked “Cheesy”. Tejada and Leviste have this knack of making tracks that sound instantly familiar but which reveal subtle layers of complexity with each repeated listen. Ace.

Link320 (Part I)

Link320 (Part II)

PORTER RICKS - Porter Ricks (1997)

Named for a character on the '60s TV show Flipper, Porter Ricks specializes in subaquatic dub techno, providing the closest touchstone to the static hum and fuzzy beatwork of their quasi label-mates Basic Channel. A collaboration between ambient maestro Thomas Köner and beatmeister Andy Mellwig, the duo debuted with three 12-inches on the Basic Channel sub-label Chain Reaction during 1995-96. Filtering out any of the harder effects from Detroit techno and Plastikman material with what sounded like an affinity for undersea SONAR frequencies and wind-tunnel ambience, the singles became quite popular with the growing experimental techno scene of the mid-'90s (and even influenced Plastikman in return). By the time of the 1996 CD collection BioKinetics on Chain Reaction, Porter Ricks had moved on to Force Inc with the double-pack Redundance EP, plus the singles "Spoil" and "Exposed." The duo also recorded a single for Barooni before collecting their Force Inc material onto a self-titled 1997 CD. John Bush, A. M. G.

Link320 (Part I) Link320 (Part II)

VAINIO VAISANEN VEGA - Endless (1998)

The third LP of Pan Sonic is actually by V.V.V. (Mika Vainio, Ilpo Väisänen & Alan Vega) and the first one of PanaSonic with vocals : by Alan Vega who co-wrote most of the titles. All tracks written by Alan Vega/ Mika Vainio/ Ilpo Väisänen. Recorded & mixed @ 6/8 Studios NYC 1997
Link320 (Part I)

Link320 (Part II)

THOMAS BRINKMANN - Lucky Hands (2005)

Over the course of countless albums, 12-inches, and high-art sound experiments, the German native has established himself as the Dalai Lama of thinking-man’s techno. His thoughtful soul and funk deconstructions as Soul Center bring more than just James Brown and African-American spiritual samples to the dancefloor, just as his reinterpretations of Mike Ink’s and Richie Hawtin’s minimalist works (crafted with his home-modified three-tone-arm turntable) could hardly be considered simple remixes... U.S.

Link320 (Part I) + Link320 (Part II)

BURNT FRIEDMAN - First Night Forever (2007)

Veteran producer and master of electronic kraut-funk, Burnt Friedman returns for another solo album after his acclaimed collaboration with David Sylvian, Stina Nordentsam and Arve Henriksson on the Nine Horses project. First Night Forever finds Friedman recruiting a number of vocal contributors, including Australian singer Steve Spacek, Funkstorung collaborator Enik, Berliner Barbara Panther and Daniel Dodd-Ellis. The productions themselves are the real stars here though, Friedman's multi-layered studio excursions sewing together detailed drum edits, misty horn sections and even the odd burst of strings when needed. There are some very peculiar moments on the album though, most of which come on tracks lent vocals by Theo Altenberg, an artist whose roots lie in the Berlin commune scene of the '70s. He makes a number of appearances on the album, seemingly styling he's hollered, gruff vocals on a hybrid of Tom Waits and James Brown, resulting in the screeching electro-gospel mania of 'The Healer' and dub freakshow 'Need Is All You Love'. Good stuff. BOOMKAT >>> Link 320

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Decay Product (1997)

The third in Chain Reaction's metal box series is a Thorsten Profrock known as Various Artists collection that compiles edits of material from 1996's No. 1-7 EP plus full tracks from the "Resilient" and "Erosion" singles. The No. 1-7 inclusions showcase Profrock's blueprint for dubby techno: clipped, distant four-four beats and reverbed, clanging percussion with rhythms of several whispered-noise effects that create a chilling, trance-state atmosphere...

Thorsten Profrock (co-owns Din Records) worked at Hard Wax, growing closer to the store's base for legendary productions on the Basic Channel/Chain Reaction family of labels. Profrock began producing and released his first Various Artists project, 1995's 1-7, on Chain Reaction. (He also recorded two singles for the label as Resilient and Erosion.) The continuation piece 8, 8.5, 9 appeared on England's Fat Cat label in 1997, highlighting the producer's subtle ambient sense and reliance on a restrictive frequency range -- all middles, no highs or lows. Later that year, Chain Reaction compiled his work on the Decay Product compilation, and Fat Cat expanded 8, 8.5, 9 to an EP for Profrock's second CD release. Definitely recommended! John Bush Link320 (Part I) + Link320 (Part II)

BURIAL : Burial (2006)

"A stealthy and seductive symphony of resonant bass mournful white noise" The Wire
"Spooked electronic dub with a widescreen feel..." Q
"An absurdly addictive sonic opiate for lovesick drifters..." 5/5 IDJ
>>> Link256

DUBADELIC - Bass Invaders (1998)

The cross was a mushroom... and the mushroom was also the Tree of Good and Evil... the philosophical stone of the alchemists was LSD... the Book of the Dead is a trip... the Holy Trinity begins with an opium poppy... and the gnostic gospels describe a mescaline experience...The whole Universe is nothing but... a superstition... and every reality is... only an opinion, which turns out be... the high point of nothingness dissolved at the inner void of the SACRED...The Blessed SOUND of... NOTHING... being dissolved in a swirling, ever evolvin' and never stoppin' neverness of... mystic SOUND...

Link320 (Part I) + Link320 (Part II)

SQUAREPUSHER - Feed Me Weird Things (1996)

Feed me Weird Things' is Tom Jenkinson's first full length offering and its importance and influence cannot be underestimated. From an obscure upbrining as a Jaco Pastorious inspired Jazz muso, who could have predicted how fundamentally Mr Jenkinson would stir the worlds of dance, Jazz, fusion etc. This album is perhaps his most important, and certainly his freshest, most varied and continually inspired... check it ...

Link320 (Part I) + Link320 (Part II)

APHEX TWIN - Drukqs (2001)

...Dense and diverse...This serves as an enlightening intro for novices and as a thrilling recap for longtime fans... - Alternative Press

...A cavernous cabinet of curiousities...amusing and arresting....It has become his lot to exist in a permananet state of satirical seige against the culture that would adopt him... - The Wire

...This is music-box prettiness torn apart by scattershot beats and frantic acid squelches... - Mixmag
...It ripples and eddies through whipsmart intellectual techno, gibbering drum'n'bass, early '90s rave and...what sounds like a team of bellringers attempting a backwards version of 'Silent Night'... - NME (Magazine)

Link256 (Disc I) + Link256 (Disc II)

SHERIFF LINDO & THE HAMMER - Ten Dubs That Shook The World (1981/88)

"Superb 13 Aussie dub tracks from 1981 to 1988 by Loop Orchestra member Sheriff Lindo aka Anthony Maher. Surprisingly almost home recordings, under the style of heavy roots reggae but experimental also industrial sense. Original vinyl release limited to only 250 copies. Echo, delay, phasers, ring modulators, full on!"
Another lost gem from the fine folks at EM records in Japan. The interesting thing about Sherriff Lindo & The Hammer is that it is actually the work of Anthony Maher who just so happens to be a member of sound experimentalists the Loop Orchestra. Which makes a bit of sense, when you realize that the Loop Orchestra utilized only analog tape machines and spliced tape to produce their Jeck like dronescapes. Exactly the sort of musical mind and old school approach that would lead someone to be into folks like Lee Perry, King Tubby, Prince Jammy and the like. This is true dub, but just with an extra helping of delay, so snares stutter and hiccup, huge swaths of melody get buried in sonic murk before drifting higher and higher in the mix, dreamlike dubs floating in a psych swirl of careening rhythms and subtle simple melodies, so awesome. Definitely worthy of a place alongside the Perry's and Jammy's and Tubby's in your collection for sure...

Link320 (Part I) + Link320 (Part II)

AMON TOBIN - Bricolage (1997)

For Brazilian-born Amon Tobin, the entire history of recorded jazz is a library waiting to be sampled and reconstituted into splintered solos, splashy breakbeats, and melting melodic motifs. Tobin tosses fiery riffs, themes, and beats plucked from favorite bebop, hot, and free jazz records into a cauldron of homebrew electronica, stirring in enough hip-hop, drum n' bass, techno, and pure sonic invention to bind the hash. If talent borrows, and genius steals, then Tobin is even a step beyond that. If the spicy Latin-ized drum n' bass of Chomp Samba and One Day In My Garden overcome you, blame it on the bossa nova. Yasawas bends poignant Hawaiian steel-guitar around slippery breakbeats, dissolving in and out of focus like a daydream. Creatures, One Small Step, Dream Sequence, and Bitter & Twisted race by, condensed courses in jazz appreciation - Haden, Roach, Coleman, Mingus, Parker - set to neck-wrenching rhythms. Bricolage exemplifies the Age of the Soundbyte, but Tobin isn't just peddling a flashy technological parlor-trick. His constructions are ambitious, his arrangements ingenious, and his music pulsates with heart and soul. S.U. Link320 (Part I) + Link320 (Part II)

RICARDO VILLALOBOS - Taka Taka (2003)

... in fact, Taka Taka feels practically like a new warped direction for Intelligent Dance Music. With IDM considered all but dead, “Atomium” mixes together a vibrant Kraftwerkian cousin to Boards of Canada’s bare “Zoetrope.” These melodies are underpinned with the typical 4/4 drum beat, but one that approaches the expanse of dub from a completely unexpected path. The culmination of this organic/electronic drumming tension appears on Brothers' Vibes' “Manos Libre,” where a bongo drum completes a session with a house beat. The bongo dances with a surprising playfulness given the repetitious nature of House, easily making its presence known in the mix despite its lack of prominence within the levels. Another high-mark appears when Villalobos first kicks Taka Taka into gear with John Shananigans’ “Charlie’s on the Dancefloor.” The following contribution from Jabberjaw, “I Speak for Some of That,” carries such a blissful indifference that when merged with Shananigans’s earlier bluesy vocals, a curious balance is established. These balances between melancholy and bliss show up again on Alcachofa, exemplifying Villalobos’ ability to toggle contrasting emotions easily and expertly. The few missteps on Taka Taka occur when the minimalist production is replaced in favor of over-the-top productions like “That Track by Cat”. With a bare bones approach, however, Villalobos allows the sequence between “Squirrel Bait” and “You Wouldn’t” to flow naturally into the Alcachofa stand-out “Dexter.” Excluding the late Luciano entry, Taka Taka ends rather anti-climatically, as the saccharine synth tying the last three songs doesn’t adequately release the tension running through the rest of the mix. Ricardo Villalobos proves quite able to not only propel the mix, but also has a keen ear for a wide variety of developments within House, employing them in a variety of ways here... N. D. Young Link320 (Part I) + Link320 (Part II)

INNERHYTHMIC SOUND SYSTEM (2001)

The Innerhythmic imprint - founded by Bill Laswell - was first conceived as an alternative outlet for musicians from a variety of different backgrounds who are dedicated to exploring the recombinant possibilities of music. With a scope of influence that welcomes the traditional and "trance" rhythms of far-flung cultures as openly as the hip-hop, dub, jungle, jazz, funk and electronic cyber-styles emanating from the DJ underground and beyond, the label stands out as an active realization of the "collage system" - a system where entirely new forms can emerge almost at will from fusions of the familiar. Put simply, this is a past that arrives from the future to scramble the present; drum-and-bass, dub, mutant hip-hop, harmolodic fusion, new jazz, world and otherworld musics all connect to expand the potential of the experience... BLA.

Link320 (Part I) + Link320 (Part II)