Some hidden gems from the eternal techno-city :

The Detroit Escalator Co. – Shifting gears (Ferox Records)

Thanks to the beautiful Black buildings album, I’ve discovered Neil Ollivierra aka The Detroit Escalator Co. in 2001. Some years later I’ve checked his previous albums Excerpts and Soundtrack [313] where Shifting gears comes from. His music is really minimal, deep, and melancholic. Always some patterns with few drums processed in a delay effect, one or two dreamy pads, and a simple but deep melody. The repetition turns in your mind like a nostalgic mantra, and brings you in a superb and unique universe. TDEC has crossed the galaxy of techno like a comet, before disappearing. Let’s hear the dust he has left behind, and enjoy it.

Kenny Larkin – Chasers (Distance)

Wowww. I’ve just discovered this 1994 track, and what a mind-blowing piece, still super fresh 20 years later ! This is a timeless bomb, labelled 90’s techno with the extensive use of the TR-909 and textures from digital synths of that period. I suspect that the main chord (which sounds a bit like the bass-line of Lil’ Louis’ French kiss) is a sample. We can hear at the end of the loop a little “tick”, probably taken from an other record, processed in a sampler with effects and EQ’s, which gives it a very good punch and dynamic and drives the track like a super deep journey of some space chasers. Killer music.

Detroit in Effect – R U married (M.A.P. Records)

Probably my favorite track from the electro duo Detroit in Effect. A sad mood, a killer hi-tek funk bass, serious vocals, and some unbeatable electro rhythms. Minimal, repetitive, and very efficient. A great track from the underground Detroit scene. They have also released two records for Clone during the 00’s and I recommend a Youtube trip on tracks like Move yo body, Nothing like Detroit, or Out with the old. After hearing
R U married the melody will haunt you for the next few days. Are you married ? – Oh no!

Theorem – Fallout (M_nus)

Another legend, the white boy of the list : Dale Lawrence aka Theorem. I’m not 100% sure he is native from Detroit. I think he’s from the West-Coast, and moved later in Detroit. He’s actually living near New York I think. Anyway, we know Theorem for two albums on Plus8 and M_nus (same houses run by Richie Hawtin) and also for an awesome collaborative project with Sutekh, Stewart Walker, and Swayzak, releasing five Ep’s and then a compilation/album in 2002. Fallout is a great progressive deep electronic journey (the main “theme” starts at 4:30 ! and it’s not a tool track). Echos, minor explosions, teleportation in an other dimension through the universe to a green planet full of impressive jungles, symbolized by this special flute in the middle of the track (the “theme”). I’ve read somewhere that he has used a Juno (106 or 60/6), sampled the material, and arranged a tack in average during 2 weeks, trying to strip all the elements down at maximum to keep the essence of them. The result is here : minimal and perfect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FcLHTxteKA

Aaron Carl – Simply – instrumental (Wallshaker Music)

Aaron Carl tragically passed away in 2010, at the age of 37. He has released a lot of memorable tracks mostly in the house vein (classics like Crucified, Wallshaker…), haunted by his own vocals. Simply had been under my radar cause it was not released on vinyl. I’ve discovered it when watching a mix of Derrick May at this famous Japanese club where every sets are filmed and streamed live. It was the first track, and what a great feeling ! The strings are beautiful, they come slowly, rise and rise… Very emotional and intense track.

Subscribe to the newsletter to not miss any posts here
Buy vinyl records in the Shop Musique
PayWhatYouWant to get PCM05comp / PCM06 digitally on Bandcamp

THIS is dub-techno. Do you feel what it really means ?

Poisson Chat

Subscribe to the newsletter to not miss any posts here
Buy vinyl records in the Shop Musique
PayWhatYouWant to get PCM05comp / PCM06 digitally on Bandcamp

On Bandcamp

More infos about PCM06

Subscribe to the newsletter to not miss any posts here
Buy vinyl records in the Shop Musique
PayWhatYouWant to get PCM05comp / PCM06 digitally on Bandcamp

Our favorite Belgian band of the moment has delivered a great live performance in July at the mythic club Fuse. Some videos have been shot, and I’m happy to let you watch (and hear !) this excerpt showing Nico Gomez, Emilia Rey, & John Barokskki performing their tune “Drops“.

Drops (original) + Remixes by Roger 23 and Break SL is available on the PCM04 (released on September 3rd 2012). More infos about this record and the limited white version (100 copies / only available on this website) here

Subscribe to the newsletter to not miss any posts here
Buy vinyl records in the Shop Musique
PayWhatYouWant to get PCM05comp / PCM06 digitally on Bandcamp

I’m very happy to share my new mix (probably the best podcast I’ve recorded up to now) for the great Electronique.it, considered as the best electronic music webzine of Italy (and world-recognized for the quality of their podcasts). It’s a real deep introspective journey between various styles and surprises. Also, you can read an interview made in English and available in Italian too. I hope you’ll like it !

Link : http://www.electronique.it/podcastA2714C10_Podcast_Poisson-chat_E-P-171

Streaming :

Tracklisting :

01. Nico Gomez, Emilia Rey, John Barokskki – Drops – R’23 is moving in a fast light at day breaks & night heals mix (Poisson Chat Musique)
02. Photek – Glamourama (Science)
03. Schatrax – A question of timing (Sister Phunk)
04. Carl A. Finlow – Motion (Sur Muzique)
05. Luke Hess – Unity (DeepLabs)
06. Dj Spider – In the land of demons (Plan B Recordings)
07. Conforce – Fictional Environment  – Delta Funktionen remix (Field Records)
08. Baby Ford – Messenger (Sender Records)
09. Zadig – Maniac mansion (Synchrophone)
10. City 2 City – Black planet (Courtesy of Balance Recordings)
11. 2deepsoul – The deepness (Altered Moods Recordings)
12. Housefactors – Freestyle (Black Market Records)
13. Vincent Floyd – I’m so deep (Dance Mania)
14. Simoncino – Do it again – Gene Hunt remix (Skylax)
15. Roger 23 – L.A.D. (Neurhythmics)
16. Charlie – Spacer Woman (Mr. Disc Organization)
17. Morphosis – Dirty matter – NWAQ’s via mezzacapo dub (Delsin / M>O>S / Morphine)
18. Mark Du Mosch – Salmiak (SD Recordings)

Update (July 12th 2012) :
The mix has already been downloaded more than 500 times ! Thank you for the support !
+ Find out the review of Terra incognita (in Italian)

INTERVIEW :

To start out, can you tell us how you got into djing and producing electronic music ?

I’ve always been fascinated by electronic music. I’ve never been into rap, rock, skate, goth things… Always been an electronic-boy, since the first cd I bought (a “Dance Attitude” compilation with Corona, commercial dance stuff like that, when I was 9). I come from a small city in France, in Bourgogne, at 130 km from Paris, and in the mid-late 90’s there were no Internet or record-shops to learn about this culture and to buy records.

I’ve been “initiated” by my old half-sister who picked me up from time to time at school with her car, and she was into free-parties / teknivals / rave culture. Every weeks / months she went with her bunch of friends to crazy parties in the middle of nowhere, in fields, forests, industrial places, listening to loud techno, acid, trance, hardcore music for days. I was intrigued by these stories, and in her car she had a lot of tapes, and she gave me some from time to time. So my first techno experience is not the softest to discover this genre, listening to mixes from Manu le Malin, Spiral Tribe, Teknokrates, Radiobomb… These sounds and energy were so magic, so mysterious too.

Then a French magazine called Trax appeared, and gave away a 10-track cd every months, that’s how I started my musical learning. Trying to understand what the journalists named as “deep house”, ”detroit techno”, etc… Always alone because no one of my friends or family were interested by this music. Before the age of 18 I’ve never met someone who shared the same passion as me, except one friend which made me discover Portishead in high-school. I’ve started to mix when I’ve got turntables for my 14th birthday, and had the chance to make a trip to Paris generally every 6 weeks (holidays) to buy few vinyls and cd’s.

About composition, well, we had a Mac at home when I was a child / teenager, and unfortunately all the demo-softwares I could find in music production magazines were almost exclusively for Windows (stuff like Music Magic Maker and co.), that was really frustrating (I broke many times the balls of a friend of mine to go to his place to monopolize his PC in order to test the demos !).

I played the piano, but I already knew I wanted to experiment the (electronic) sound, the matter, not playing melodies on an exclusive instrument only. I had my first electronic experiments around 16, when a Windows PC finally arrived at home. I’ve experimented on a MC-505, for a while on a Korg Poly-800 an uncle had lent me, and on softs like Acid, Soundforge, and finally Reason. Today I still use it but far less (since the V4, when they have changed the sequencer).

Could you describe your current studio setup? What are you making music with ?

My main tool is Live, I use a lot the Sampler instrument (my favorite one) for experimenting, re-sampling again and again the audio matter I’ve created from softwares / plugins, synths, or from a microphone. I never sample music from other artists or use ready-to-use loops. Just audio from my own experimentations.

For drums, I use samples (and found sounds I record), and I rework each element separately. Working on the sounds, making them sounding really personal is the main part of the job. I’ve also integrated last year two modules from Vermona : an analog mono-synth (Mono Lancet) and a drum-synth (Kick Lancet).

I think it’s a good formula to keep a solid analog ground for basses and kicks, mixed with digital synths, in a software environment like Live with many possibilities about improvisations, experimentations, and arrangements.

How do you define/describe the music you make and play ?

What I’m looking for when I’m composing music, is an isolated, quiet, and peaceful environment (like the deepness of the ocean). Going like a fish(-cat) to a new world to express what I feel. With my music, I think people can imagine their own underwater stories, and swim into some nice places.

Djing is a little bit different of course. I like to mix (on vinyl only) various styles in a strong core of multi-dimensional house or techno, with elements of dub-techno, electro, (italo-)disco, more raw and minimal sub-genres, acid, NY / Detroit / Chicago / weird / dirty Netherlander stuff / French bits / German diversity / old and new…

But always surrounded by (any kind of) honest and real deepness. I really dislike when a dj plays the same genre during one or two hours or more, it’s so boring. I like the real musical trip dj’s like Roger 23, Delta Funktionen, Marcel Dettmann (specially on Sunday afternoons at Berghain), and some others, can express, beyond genres, beyond everything, with a strong personality.

Where did you record this podcast and what can you tell us about it ?

First I would like to thank very much electronique.it to have given me the opportunity to do this mix. It’s an honour to be a part of this renowned website. So, I wanted to do my best ! The mix has been recorded with vinyl records only in my studio in Berlin on two Technics SL-1200 MKII and an Allen & Heat Xone:22 mixer.

It reflects my taste for various (deep) electronic styles I’ve explained in the previous answer. It’s a serious and real deep journey between house, techno, and less identified styles, with various feelings (dark, light, introspective, abstract, melancholic, unexpected…). I wanted also to add some light Italian touches here and there… Like a wink to please (even more !) the local readers / listeners of electronique.it . As bonus, you’re the first to discover one track from the (forthcoming) Ep on Poisson Chat Musique (PCM04).

What are you working on at the moment ?

We’re starting the promotion of the PCM04 planned for September. “Drops” is a great song made by my good friend Nico Gomez from Brussels with his partners John Barokskki and the singer Emilia Rey. It comes with two killer remixes by Roger 23 and Break SL. I really love this record in every way (music + item) and I hope it will be successful. It really deserves it.

Who/what is your biggest inspiration ?   

“Biggest inspiration”? I can’t name one thing, or one person in particular. I have many influences, from many electronic styles and artists. And in music, I’m not faithful at all.
I judge the current piece I’m listening. It can come from an artist or a label I really like, if the new record is not really good, I will not buy it and play it. That’s tough, but it is how it works. I spend hours and hours listening to records in (web-)shops or on Discogs / Youtube… that’s my main process to find great music and weapons.

Since a while, when I’m composing, I like to strip-down the sound, and go to the direction of something around the early Swayzak’s material / mixes and the Theorem collabs on Minus THX. I’ve always been amazed by this kind of real minimalist (deep and emotional) sound.

Subscribe to the newsletter to not miss any posts here
Buy vinyl records in the Shop Musique
PayWhatYouWant to get PCM05comp / PCM06 digitally on Bandcamp

Some tracks and records I’ve played a lot during March and which are linked to emotional or intimate feelings.

Neud Photo – Simulations (Pylon Records)

This is the USO of the moment (unidentified sound object). Between synth-wave, italo, and electro. Sweet weird candies from outer space, and unexpected journeys into the 4th dimension. I really love it. 200 copies only !

Polar Inertia – Indirect light (Dement3d)

Real good techno from France ! Finally something fresh from the hexagon, from the young generation (in the like of Marcelus). This record (A2 and B – the ones I like) is about mothered abyssal techno with deep-dark lights and an industrial touch. Like a diver who explores a dead boat inside the deepness of an ocean. Very nice job. One of the very rare – new – techno records I’ve bought for one year, and that I really enjoy to dive in each time.

Conforce – 24 – Gesloten Cirkel remix (Clone Basement Series)

Baoom. Another blast from the mystery man. I’m talking about Gesloten Cirkel(’s remix) of course. Analog jam executed in a really really good way. Live feeling, and strong sensation(s). Wow, this track is not only banging (in the best way), but also very sensitive with its melodies a bit broken and down. Killer drum kicks, superb melancholic mood, infinite, and raw, raw, raw. Yes, more of this techno cirkel please !

Mutant Beat Dance – Another World (Rong Music)

Another World, the main track, was a real secret weapon (before Phil Sherburne talks about it recently on Resident Advisor). Retro-advanced and experimental house weirdness. When we look at the credit notes, we understand why : dj Traxx is part of the game ! What I really like is the last minute. When the deep breath appears. I wanted it lasts a bit more, but, that’s a part of the spirit of this record. It’s definitely not an average song, maybe a bit too weird for the young listeners, but don’t care about it. Just play it, and “feel the groove”.

Break SL – Desert flight (Uncanny Valley)

Each new record from Break SL (or C-Beams) is a good surprise. Every time. He never tries to sound in a certain style, in certain period, no, he just makes old-school (for the warm, positive vibes, and analog jam) and new-school (a lot of experimentations and fresh combinations of sounds and arrangements) house music. For me, he is one of the most underrated producers, maybe because his tracks require more attention and listens than other “average” house records (because he doesn’t sound like anybody else). I’m a big fan of him since his track “Witness” (which in fact is “Be strong” due to a mistake from the label…). Here is a new stunning moment with Desert flight, which could be the house version of Audion’s Just fuckin’ : hypno-dumb-kill-slow-crashed-UFO. Amorphed limits (feat. Manuel Sander) is also very nice ! Check !

Legowelt – North sea spectrum (Signals)

At the moment Legowelt (and his numerous alias) keeps the level very high ; each month you have new cookies from him, and they are always at least good or excellent. Skip A and go directly to the B-side. “Hey what time is it ?” a guy who seems to come from a Super Nintendo video game says. Classic Legowelt prod, in the bright and very groovy vein (no obscure stuff here). Old-school lo-fi analog rhythms and melodic synths. B2 is a melancholic one which sends you really far away. Deep, deep inside ! Thank you for all the good work man.

Sistol – Keno – Mike Huckaby Synth Remix (Slice of Life)

Slice of Life is a new (vinyl only ?) label managed by Sefan Betke aka Pole. So, we can expect some experimentations and a friendly taste for the dubby sound. I’ve checked the first one and the third one (by Baaz) but not my thing. BUT, this one is really strong with Mike Huckaby’s remix of Sistol track (aka Vladislav Delay). Buy it as soon as you can cause it will become a kind of classic of the genre. The production, the sound, the arrangement are perfect. Very deep-dub hypnotic, progressive, minimal-powerful but with an underground attitude. Any way, you can’t be wrong with Huckaby’s prods (whether if it’s house or dub-techno).

Orpheus – Path from Hades (Sequencias)

Interesting neo-retro stuff now. Orpheus is a guy who has produced a lot under different pseudonyms. I really need to check out his other prods. If they are as good as this record, hummmm ! Miam miam ! The A track is an electro-acidic and drum machines jams before a deep wave appears and unveils a nice hi mono-bass and very charming melody “toum toum toum-toum toudou-dou ti toum”. Very sweet, and free like a lightly improvisation on a sunny Saturday afternoon. The two other tracks on the B-side are much more dark. I play more the first of them. Same spirit at the beginning that the previous one, abstract acid & drums jam for a while, before a disturbing old string-synth appears, and adds a high frequency melody. It’s dark-soft but charming. A bit more in Legowelt style. One of the good surprises of the beginning of 2012.

Kurt Baggaley – Tractor beam (Hotmix)

Perfect track which announces the end of the set / party. Very deep, a bit speed (I down-pitch it at -6%), you can really feel the fresh wind of the end of an afternoon at the beach, just before the sunset. Small melancholic waves of electro-italo hit the sand, you feel a bit nostalgic of the beautiful day you have spent there, you’re a bit tired, and also a bit sad to have to leave the place now. It touches your heart in a way you don’t expect. Very nice.

Shannon – My heart’s divided (Emergency Records)

Classic electro-funk tune. Most of the people knows the “big hit” Let the music play, but I prefer this one. A bit more “light”. I bought it for 2,50 € on Discogs (perfect condition), and I really don’t regret it !! People, it’s the crisis, you don’t have so much money to buy vinyl ? Check out the second-hand stores and the flea-markets ! You can always find amazing stuff if you’re a bit curious and you take time to dig the mater. It’s long, hard, but sometimes you will be rewarded. Any way, I like this song very much, it’s still so fresh and powerful (killer snare !), the production is not cheesy, it’s clear, the voices are great, and it still stays a bit underground, so you can create a nice effect on the floor ! (“Hey what’s this ??“). From 1984 : “Marty, prepare the Delorean, we go back to the future !“

Poisson Chat

Subscribe to the newsletter to not miss any posts here
Buy vinyl records in the Shop Musique
PayWhatYouWant to get PCM05comp / PCM06 digitally on Bandcamp

In July 2010, I went to Dubplates & Mastering in Berlin to make the mastering and the cut of Une nuit américaine (PCM01). Thanks to Roger 23, I met and worked with mastering engineer and sound cutter Lupo, who is an old friend of him.

For those who don’t know Dubplates & Mastering, it’s like the Abbey Road of electronic music. Back in the days, techno myths Basic Channel have created this studio in the neighbourhood of Kreuzberg in 1995, located next door to the famous record shop Hard Wax, where Mark Ernestus (one of the two members of Basic Channel with Moritz Von Oswald) was, and is still, the boss.

The studio has also built its reputation thanks to an amazing mastering engineer and sound cutter (and beyond) who used to work there between 1996 and 1998, Sir Robert Henke aka Monolake.

Plenty of electronic music albums, ep’s, cd’s, have been cut there, because it’s synonym of high-quality. However, it’s not cheap, but you know what you pay for : the equipment used and the savoir-faire of the great engineers. I mean, a record is made for eternity (well, it will live during your life, and after your death for few generations at least), so it’s important the final product be perfect. A lot of people will listen to this music (I hope ! ;-), and it needs to sound the best when played as well on a big and precise sound-system of a club, as in your living room. It’s very important everybody could reach a maximum of pleasure when listening to the music.

What I also like with Andreas (aka Lupo), is to assist to the mastering sessions, and talk with him about a lot of aspects of his work. Of course, not about what he does when he turn the knobs of the strange big machines to improve the sound (because I’m not an engineer, I know shit about – the real – technical stuff, and remember, studio time cost money !!), but I like to learn about the specifications of the vinyl, and its transcription from the audio on the computer to the lacquer disc, to the vinyl. For example, he can say “hum the high-hats are pretty good when you listen to it straight to the source, but they will sound a bit sharp on vinyl, so I will make them a bit more smooth for it sounds perfect on vinyl”. Or when he explains why this track should be cut in 33 RPM and not in 45 RPM, for questions about bass frequencies, space, and stuff. This is really interesting, I love that (unlike when you burn a cd, you don’t see the process, you can’t change anything, it’s cold, there is no story… and what to say about mp3’s…).

So, I filmed some stuff with my former cam/recorder (it was not the HD trend when I bought it three years ago), made a modest editing, and uploaded it on Youtube. It’s about the cut, and the birth of a vinyl record. Believe me, when it’s YOUR first record, it means something.

Poisson Chat

Subscribe to the newsletter to not miss any  posts here
Or follow the Facebook page
Buy vinyl records in the Shop Musique
Find out more music on Bandcamp

Some tracks and records I’ve played a lot during July-August and which are linked to emotional or intimate feelings.

Lerosa – Horizons (Uzuri)

I didn’t know about that but despite its Italian sounding (and Leopoldo Rosa was born in Rome, and now based in Dublin) an amanatto is a Japanese confectionery. So, this album is a pretty sweet cookie and Horizons is my favorite one here. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of all his prods, but he often makes good job like on his previous tape-album for Further Records and I also remember an unusual track from him (more techno and weird) on a split ep for Ostgut Ton few years ago. Pretty dense, warm, deep detroit-house rooted, I like Horizons for all these reasons. It’s really sweet and soft, not that happy but with a subtle touch of melancholy : definitely the kind of track you can play for putting a good atmosphere in the room with character.

Dj Rum – Turiya (2nd Drop Records)

Wow. What a good track. Very cinematic with wonderful pads. I’ve never been really deep into the english genres like UK Garage / Drum’n’Bass / 2-Step / Dubstep / Grime, and now Future Soul / Neo UK Garage, whatever they labeled themselves. But from time to time I like to pick up some music from this island and what I prefer is when the style is close to what Hard Wax names “techno or house compatible”. Hummmm ! Of course what I like the most here are the ambiances (remember me The Cinematic Orchestra during the intro and the outro), the sampled UKG voice is pretty ok, there are no crazy FX’s or “speediness” (it’s more about a “quiet force”), the rhythm is humble and delivers a typical impulse all along Turiya. Very fresh, lovely, and dreamy. Why do you want to expect more ?

Music Institute 20th Anniversary – Pt 3 Of 3 (NDATL)

First, this trilogy of eps is gorgeous, thanks to Kai Alcé on his NDATL imprint to put all these jewels on wax for our pleasure. Here on a pink marbled vinyl we have a nice melodic-303-electro-edit of Alexander Robotnick’s big 80’s hit Problèmes d’Amour by KDJ. Forget about the long and expensive version on an other record, the short one here is perfect. A real crazy and funny track. But my favorite one is the last track (“untitled”). “Street life, street life, ###, chocolate, chocolate” what the fuck the singer is singing, it’s soooo sweet ! Lollipops melodies, warm groove, perfect execution, dreamy romantic pale-colored detroit-house at its best : well, I LOVE it.

Vince Watson – Signals (Headspace Recordings)

I’ve discovered this track during a nocturnal listening session of the excellent Laurent Garnier’s PBB webradio. It is really magical. It starts like a harsh situation like if someone was gimp or wounded with some problems to walk (it is what the rhythm makes me think) and then you start to hear this incredible wave which arrives very slowly, like sun-rays breaking the night during an early summer morning. The progression of Signals is so great, so shinny and powerful. You feel so healthy after having listened to it, like a medicine really. Thank you Dr Watson !

2 AM FM – Desolate cities (MOS Deep)

Aciiiid ! Very very strong track by James T. Cotton and D’Marc Cantu. There are plenty of acid tracks which are really boring or just average, but this one breaks the wall. It’s all about analog old-school production in the spirit of the house of Chicago back in the days ; very raw, dark and dirty. The vocals are very funny too, second-degree low-voice with a big cave-reverb and weird (tape-delay ?) effects. I also like the strings-synth line which add an other dimension here : from the warehouse basement of a rough, wet and extremely dark gay club, an illumination appears in your mind and the Truth is abruptly but finally revealed to yourself. Something very sexual and spiritual at the same time : one of the strongest combination you can find in dance-music. Enjoy the experience…

Steve Oh – Work dat shit (Soul People Music)

Oh oh oh, Steve… what have you done here ?? I love this track. it’s typically this kind of new NY-house, minimal, analogue-synths/drum-machines-rooted, with a weird groovy-groove. I didn’t know Steeve Oh before, it’s his first track released on vinyl for the excellent label of the great Fred P, Soul People Music. I like the naive melody in the strange deep mood, and these vocals “work dat shit” he repeats like a street slang mantra. A very good moment.

Axel Bauer – Cargo (Disques Vogue)

Axel Bauer is a french singer who is mostly known to have release this big hit (top charted) during the 80’s (1983). The story is about a sailor who hasn’t seen the earth since 35 days, and who re-discovers the joy and pleasures of life during a nocturnal stop, maybe somewhere in North of Africa. The atmosphere and chorus are very obsessive like what a sailor can think again and again during his long sea-trips. The lyrics are very poetic and a bit obscure. Sound sooo 80’s but the very good side of this period. The b&w video-clip is also beautiful (specially for the beginning of the 80’s), very classy, subtly erotic, and remains timeless.

Basic Soul Unit – Soulspeak – Shed remix (Dolly)

I have to admit that the first time I’ve heard the samples of that ep on Clone.nl, I was a bit blown away by Shed’s remix. Whoooch ! Dark industrial raw techno, harsh and quite banging (but not so speed), typically the atmosphere you like to hear in an industrial place like Berghain. And suddenly this pad which emerges from nowhere, very deep, nocturnal, spiritual (yes again…), and boom the kick with its sub-bass arrives and entirely destroys yourself. The contrast of these two atmospheres is really fucking good and matches perfectly. It brings the track to an other level of mind-elevation and body-dancing. Definitely one of my few techno highlights of 2011. (By the way, I’ve not taken time to listen to the other tracks of that ep, but it seems they are really great too.)

ADNY – Never leave you (Turbo)

Yes it’s not very new but it’s sound so fresh and still so lovely. I have discovered this piece on a cd-compilation in July 2000. It was an ok track for me at that time but not really paid attention that much… until I re-discover it exactly eleven years later (and bought it on vinyl). I love everything on it, it’s like a summer late-night anthem. Very deep, very loving : “I’ll never leave you baby, because you drive me crazy…”. But it’s not like these easy-shit teenage house pseudo love-songs : there is something more here, more maturity, sounds like for the singer that love is a serious business and he’s now aware about it. The pads are very smooth and classy, the drums are well-balanced, the loopy-bells are a bit strange but I don’t explain why, it just works. I could hear that song to death. I’ll definitely never leave it from my collection…

Pablo Fierro – Nights in harlem (Elevation Recordings)

Another track discovered on PBB (the audio has also been ripped from there). Beautiful, beautiful… Electronic jazz a bit a la Aqua Bassino (piano + trumpet), and then it turns quite surprisingly to Cuba and salsa. A lot of great emotions inside, perfect to keep the smile. A shame that this track has only been released on a fucking anonymous mp3 VA… Thank you to Mr Garnier to play it quite often on PBB, because it really deserves to be known. “Close your eyes, take my hand (…) follow me baby…”.

Poisson Chat

Subscribe to the newsletter to not miss any posts here
Buy vinyl records in the Shop Musique
PayWhatYouWant to get PCM05comp / PCM06 digitally on Bandcamp