August chart

Well, the last hot month of this 2011 is coming to its end and good music keeps being released. As far as I remember, normally this is not the best month for record labels but well, I think 2011 has definetely been an exception. I hope I can say the same on January 2012... we'll see...

That new Figure by J. Search and M. Suckut is a delicious plenty of dub record. Specially on B2, a track I think I'll be playing as much as I can. The new Perc sounds great too, it's one of the most interesting releases on this label, B side is my side. Really deep tracks, not normally my style but this time I'm feeling them. I also would like to mention there's a Radial remix on A side, welcome back Mr. Liebregts and Boyconstrictor. It's been a while since was waiting everymonth to get the new AAR and ARMS stuff. Well, maybe those were another times...

New Echocord is one of the best in my opinion and also another pure dub present on wax format is the 2nd Dub Chronicles... Long life for DUBCNS!!! And long life for Semantica too. I've charted two of them... I  must admit I don't have them yet, but they release such an special music that I felt the obligation of putting them on my list.

I was waiting to put my hands on that Orbis since it was posted on souncloud, it reminds me all good times and I'm pretty sure it has been created in the old way. Dolly 7 sound pretty different but makes me feel "oldie but goldie" too... and oldies but goldies are also the heavy weights I've selected this month, I think The Black Dog's release on DUSTV is going to be my favourite release this year. Broom's and Ruskin's ? Yes, nothing new on A side and maybe on B1 but pure class sounds and useful tracks are included on BEARDMAN 11 and B2 is a really beautiful piece in my opinion.

Let's see what comes in Autum, really inspiring season for me.

August 2011 chart

Smoke Machine Podcast 023 Obtane

It's been a long time since I'm following this quality techno podcast series and everytime a new edition is out I think  should talk about it... maybe I didn't before because they already have their own blog.

Smoke Machine Taipei is for me a synonymous of good taste. I won't explain much about SM because you can check their blog but I want to talk about the great, classy, moody, serious music they serve. If you look at the previous editions, almost all the artists are part of, if I you let me repeat Lucy's words, the so called compressed dub sounds that's being released lately. Names like Xhin, Donor, Giorgio Gigli, Edit Select (amazing podcast he served)... etc all, with no exception, have been great.

Maybe this one I want you all to check is a bit different. A completely new name for me, but a well known and experienced dj and producer serves the best SM Podcast edition I've been able to listen to so far... Obtane/QuitQuiteQuick is a techno artist, owner of Zooloft, involved to electronics since the mid 90's. He's released in Synewave and Sonic Groove among other and, after this podcast was out, I've been checking some stuff from him and I got to admit I was missing an original artist that serves really useful material on which I'm going to put my hands as soon as I can...

Back to this top quality set he's recorded for SM, I must say I've listened to it four times now and I've perceived different shades on every listen. I think this is one of those kind of sets that you listen to back to from time to time...  It starts with a terror film intro followed by an amazing track that makes you get into the set and don't leave until it wants to let you go. And that's when it finishes of course. Amazing, deep, dark, serious, some times outer space tracks follow during around 85 minutes. Technically, is also one of the best sets I've listened to lately. So what else could I ask for? Pefect music, perfect mixing and a new (for me) and interesting artist to check.

Only as a cheesy anecdote: humo means smoke in Spanish...

Stroboscopic Artefacts - 1 to 10 in a row

I woke up this morning and I checked twitter after breakfast. What I found is some great news for me, I've got no excuses now to not to add to my vinyl collection the whole catalogue so far of one of the best record labels at this moment... and this is my opportunity to mention SA in my blog too.

Well, it's known by all of us the great work Lucy's label is doing. In my opinion, easy to say if we just look at the facts but still true, they are making all of us keeping the faith in techno music future. I think the unique sound this people is bringing to the scene shows there's still a lot of techno to discover and we are not into another repetitive loop as a lot of people think.

For many, the embedded craftsmanship, sonic superiority and tangible artwork of vinyl captures a singular musical vision. Stroboscopic Artefacts' exploration of the sonic dialect is helping reshape how we dance, listen and percieve music. We now celebrate our tenth release, a story of evolution told by ten inspirited flowers, each blossoming and evolving among an otherwise dystopian order. Focusing on substance, Stroboscopic Artefacts' complete vinyl catalogue is now available to purchase as a whole via a 10x12" shipment. Stroboscopic Artefacts invite our fans to cherish in a legacy and own a concord time capsule of the labels' fledging music evolution.

Source: http://www.stroboscopicartefacts.com/vinyls.html#sa010a

August 2011 techno set

I always try to record at least one set per season and here it's what I could call a "trendy summer mix".

When I say trendy I think I should explain myself: I want to mean it's pretty easy to see on this set that I've been seduced by all the stuff coming out lately, mainly that Berlin sound that we all quickly identify.  I've been infected by the Berghain virus too and I feel really ill... I find on it a deep, serious and dark feeling that really inspires me.

I would like to highlight O-TON 42 by Ben Klock and Mike Wall &Tex-Rec –Unknown EP on PlusEins as my favourite records on the set. Special mention of too for Orphx's release (see my post below) on Sonic Groove, my fave on 2011 so far.

Of course, as every artistic expression, the author's personality makes it go its way. So maybe it's not exactly what you could expect after reading my description... As I said some time ago, let's let the music speak, so have a listen and judge by yourself:

Humo - some twelves august 2011 by Humo on Mixcloud