14tracks.com - Selections

Techno: In Perpetual Motion

2010-03-09T15:59:27+00:00

The rate of expansion and mutation in Techno today may not be as virulent as it was 20 years ago, but things happen more incrementally nowadays, with producers constantly refining and reducing the formula to a sleek and well-oiled rhythmic machine designed to provide a gymnastic and mental release for thousands of dancers everywhere, every weekend. Tracks from Sigha, Frozen Border and Function-Regis signify the assimilation of garage and house swing, while the talented Horizontal Ground encourages fresh electro-acoustic experimentation and Van Rivers and Delta Funktionen uphold the essence of purified, synthline-driven traditions. Techno is forever in flux, and this is just a snapshot of where it is at this particular place, in this particular moment in time...

14 Tracks Dug Up: Finders Keepers

2010-03-02T18:42:41+00:00

Over the last 5 years Finders Keepers has been on a relentless mission to unearth largely unheard gems from across the musical spectrum. Expertly curated, conceived and executed by Andy Votel, Dom Thomas and Doug Shipton, the label has methodically sunk its teeth into disparate cultural and historical strands, from the 'Anatloian Invasion' of Selda, Ersen and Mustafa Ozkent, to the incredible widescreen arrangements of Jean-Claude Vannier, the electronic experiments of Bruno Spoerri and the myriad Welsh-language gems compiled on the two 'Welsh rare Beat' collections . Even a young Vangelis has made an appearance on the label in the last few months. But regardless of who or what they turn up, Finders Keepers is just one of the few archival labels out there that reliably delivers something special with each and every new release, and if you find yourself double-taking in recognition of edits and loops used by a whole plethora of artists we could mention, you have the knowledge, resourcefulness and supreme aesthetic skills of these guys to thank. This 14 track selection should give you just a very small taste of what we mean, beyond there - you literally have a whole world of music to explore.

14 Tracks: Roska's Kicks & Snares

2010-02-23T16:10:37+00:00

Over the last two years the productions of Roska, aka Wayne Goodlitt, have helped define the rhythmic make-up of UK dance music in the early 21st century. His ruggedly syncopated riddims on the Roska Kicks & Snares imprint and a slew of prominent remixes for artists from Martyn to Ghosts On Tape have ensured his ubiquity in underground circles and an increasing profile further afield with DJs like Kode 9, Cooly G and Bok Bok spinning his tracks worldwide. The tracks in this selection span his two alter egos, from the tuff house programming of his Roska beats to the more percussive and Afro-tribal influences of the Uncle Bakongo project, all shot-through with a healthy balance of frothy soca house melody and a muscular rhythmic weight. Watch any of these tunes drop in a dance and you know you're in the presence of some seriously affective vibes. As the dubstep rave continues to homogenize into curdled formulaity, it's the bare-bones approach and rooted principles of producers like Roska which are fuelling some of the most exciting developments in UK dance music right now.

Black Noodles: 14 Tracks Of Misanthropic Noise

2010-02-15T16:10:43+00:00

In the wake of Valentines day we've been reading about the South Korean tradition where all those poor souls who have failed to receive a Valentines day gift are expected to eat black noodles and mourn their loneliness. This seemed a little harsh to us so we've put together 14 tracks of erogenous noise to distract all the moping misanthropes and misogynists from their woes. The noise spectrum covers a great deal of musical ground, from thunderous rock freakouts to highly organised digital extremity, always skulking at the threshold of nearly each and every scene, waiting to be embraced by those who need to feed off its cathartic qualities. Giving you a reassuring overview, we've got modern classics like Pita's majestically f*cked '3' and the epic textural expanses of 'Race You To My Bedroom' from F*ck Buttons, to the indignant impotence of (the musically virile) Harry Pussy's 'Sex Problem' plus further caustic bludgeoning from Prurient, Sissy Spacek and Cristal. It's not all that bad eh?

Roedelius: Synthetik Sehnsucht

2010-02-09T15:53:37+00:00

Hans-Joachim Roedelius is one of the brightest stars in the constellation of German Kosmiche music. As a pivotal figure in the post '68 German avant garde, he would influence a generation of musicians, artists and thinkers by co-forming the Zodiak Free Arts Lab in Berlin with conceptual artist Conrad Schnitzler, with whom he would also form Kluster, alongside Dieter Moebius. When Schnitzler left in '71 he and Moebius continued to make music together as Cluster, and also formed Harmonia with Neu!'s Michael Rother, before collaborating with Brian Eno on the seminal 'After The Heat' and 'Cluster & Eno' albums. This selection largely looks at Roedelius' involvement in releases for the Sky label between 1976 and 1982, picking tracks from the classic Cluster albums 'Sowieso', 'Grosses Wasser' and 'Curiosum' next to the aforementioned work with Eno and a selection of his sublime solo compositions. It's certainly possible to hear the melodic influence of Roedelius running through the evolution of electronic music over the last 20 years, from the complex modifications of Autechre all the way to the most recent Synth experiments of Emeralds or Oneohtrix Point Never, we hope this selection will open his beautiful music up to another generation of electronic explorers...

14 Tracks: Minimal Wave

2010-02-02T15:46:41+00:00

Exploring the Minimal Wave catalogue is like entering a secret crypt of 1980s electronic underground treasures. Under the co-ordination of Veronica Vasicka, the label has tirelessly reissued a stream of obscure synth-pop and vintage cold wave classics from both sides of the Atlantic, exposing a DIY network of analog synth and drum machine enthusiasts operating below the surface of pop perception. By sourcing original tapes from clandestine networks like the Canadian fanzine CLEM (Canadian List Of Electronic Music) and faithfully transferring them onto vinyl and CD, the label has provided exposure for a well hidden number of post-punk characters who quietly made brilliantly informed, darkly personal and experimental pop music at its best. Thanks to the recent 'Minimal Wave Tapes' compilation put together by Vasicka and the Stones Throw label, Minimal Wave has reached its cultural tipping point and has really cemented its reputation as one of the coolest and most sought-after imprints operating out of NYC. If Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk or Chris & Cosey excite you then there's a real danger that you'll fall in love with Somnambulist's gothic jacker 'Facing The Moon' or the tainted innocence of Sudeten Creche's 'Are Kisses Out Of Fashion?', while you may find yourself dancing like a moody teenager in darkened bedroom to the prototypical Dutch electro of Das Ding's 'Reassurance Ritual' or singing along to Linear Movement's sublimely melancholy 'To Another Soul'. If you like these 14 tracks, we urge you to check out the rest of the label. You won't be disappointed.

14 Tracks: Cosmic Soul Triangulation

2010-01-26T16:32:01+00:00

Guided by an Afro-futuristic spirit and the mystic co-ordinates of Sun-Ra, this week's assortment of astrally inclined producers touch on jazzed electronic hiphop, hi-life disco and re-wired electro-soul to create deeply rooted music with two eyes on the past and a third fixed firmly on the future. Next to more obvious nods from Theo Parrish's gorgeous 13 minute mix of 'Saga Of Resistance' and Lone's shape shifting 'Waves Imagination' we find Legowelt immersing himself in cosmic Afrobeat as Nacho Patrol and come over all lush with Carlos Nino & Miguel Atwood-Ferguson's sublime 'Extended Hands Of Giving'. On the squashed and psyched tip Debruit links with modern synth soul legend Om'Mas Keith of Sa-Ra for the juicy space bounce of 'I'm Goin' Wit' You' while spiritually educated youngers like Illum Sphere, Blue Daisy and Shlohmo chart the beat-cosmos, refracting R'n'B, Dubstep and Jazz into a plethora of plutonian permutations...

Under The Influence Of Angelo Badalamenti

2010-01-19T16:36:55+00:00

The films of David Lynch and their accompanying soundtracks from Angelo Badalamenti have had a subliminal yet profound impact on the sonic palette of a whole generation of composers. From the 50's kitsch-pop arrangements of Blue Velvet, the strobe-lit themes in Twin Peaks and the smoky jazz romanticism of Mullholland Drive, Badalamenti's compositions are inextricably linked to some of the most surreally defining cinematic imagery of our times. Like a modern day Bernard Herrmann, Badalamenti's scores are synonymous with themes of darkness and sublime atmospheric tension, casting an ever-lasting spell on numerous composers working within modern classical, ambient and electronic music. From the intangible blue smokescapes of Julien Neto's 'Le Fumeur De Ciel' through to Stars Of The Lid's dreamy menace or the creepy suburban surreality of Yoga's 'Dreamcast', these artists all share a sonic vision of a world that's never quite as it seems...

14 Tracks: Psychedelic Wanderlust

2010-01-12T16:13:52+00:00

At the fringes of lo-fi, freeform folk, blues and experimental electronics are a number of artists operating with an untamed and psychedelic spirit of wanderlust. These cottage craftsmen share a large amount of DIY and improvised sensibilities, often inspired by standardised forms like the classic folk and pop song or the spiritual Indian Raga, but intuitively seeking to free the music through distorted personal perceptions. Applying the "psychedelic" prefix to any style can be precarious, certainly when it leads to lazy tagging and lumpen classification, but these modern practitioners all deserve the title. Whether it's the great, recently departed Jack Rose's exquisite raga blues modifications, Astral Social Club's motorik electronics or the psilocybic sound collages of Black To Comm, the peripheries of modern psyche are providing some of the most charmingly esoteric sounds that we can find. In the mists of the online environment these scattered souls are able to proliferate in the undergrowth, leaving truffles of rare and unexplored beauty ready to be found by intrepid explorers like yourself.

14 Tracks: Scandinavian Disco Heat

2010-01-05T17:40:48+00:00

Thanks to the efforts of a handful of headstrong producers and zealous collectors, Scandinavia has gained a reputation for releasing some of the primest nu-disco on the planet. From the spiralling celestial odysseys of Lindstrom to the emo-swoon of Sally Shapiro's NRG-pop or Dolle Jolle's fractal Balaeric saunters, they've got the boogie on lockdown. It would take a musicologist to explain the addictive impact of the trademarked Scandinavian chord change, but it is possible to trace their varied and tangled roots back to the mediterranean fusions of Daniele Baldelli's Cosmic style as much as the classic throb of Giorgio Moroder's Munich sound, sharing a passion for avant garde European electronics mixed with more exotic African rhythms, obscure prog pop and classic disco funk. This 14 Track selection gives an outsiders overview, scanning Paavoharju's precious gem 'Kevätrumpu', Mungolian Jetset's psyche-disco refinement and the Europhoria of Johan Agebjørn's 'Mega Man II'. To celebrate the new year, feel free to release the disco viking inside you...

The Best Of 2009 Part 4

2009-12-22T16:13:57+00:00

The 4th and final instalment in our 2009 roundup looks back at some more of our favourite tracks of the year, with another heavyweight selection of music we've loved over the last 12 months. From the maudlin intensity of Leyland Kirby to the generic mashup of L-Vis 1990's killer 'United Groove' - we really do think it's been a vintage year. Here's looking forward to another bumper selection of new music in 2010, Happy holidays and much love to all of you from all of us here at 14 tracks and Boomkat...

The Best Of 2009 Part 3

2009-12-15T16:00:38+00:00

The third selection highlighting some of our favourite music released in 2009, this time round opening up with a typically opulent synth fix from Oneohtrix Point Never, whose 'Rifts' collection has already featured highly in many an end-of-year chart, including our own. From there we drop in on the post-everything rave genius of Untold, the future-Garage of 2562, Joy Orbison and Roof Light, before descending into the introspective emotional tapestries of the wonderful Hildur Gudnadottir. Watch out for the 4th and final instalment next week...

The Best Of 2009 Part 2

2009-12-08T15:18:11+00:00

Continuing our look at some of the tracks we've enjoyed most this year, this second selection includes music from newcomers as well as more familiar faces. The selection takes us from the reduced percussive functionality of SND through to the squashed synthfunk of Dorian Concept , the deep technofied machinations of Shed, Kassem Mosse, and Andy Stott, and the haunted echoes of Black To Comm and Concern. Watch out for part 3 next week...

The Best Of 2009 Part 1

2009-12-01T14:12:13+00:00

Over the next few weeks we're going to bring you four selections of some of the finest music released in 2009 - taking in key tracks and hidden gems from experimental music, the ever-evolving bass-music scene, post-garage, drone, dark ambient, Techno, House, Tropical, Hip Hop and avant-pop. That's a total of 56 tracks that we think more or less defined our year, featuring longtime favourites as well as exciting new faces that were little less than a flicker of our imagination twelve months ago. We think it's been a vintage year, get stuck into this first selection and keep your eyes peeled for part two next week....

Stephan Laubner Something's Out There

2009-11-23T17:33:10+00:00

Over the last decade Stephan Laubner has split his time between two disparate but similarly enchanting worlds of sound. His 'Something' imprint is home to the bulk of his output, from the isolationist scapes of Lunatik Sound System to the raw house of his abbreviated STL moniker, with cherished releases also appearing on the revered Perlon and Smallville imprints. The deeply rooted House music of his STL moniker is fashioned from an all-analog setup and noted for its raw, warm and intuitive sound marked with hypnotic melodies and an innate understanding of classic Detroit and Chicago functions. His majestic ambient constructions recorded under the Lunatik Sound System moniker and under his own name are much less known yet comprise the large bulk of his catalogue, taking in sublime drone electronics strongly evocative of classic Gas, Marsen Jules, Thomas Koner or Deathprod with a touch of charming early electronic experimentalism thrown into the mix. Following in the tradition of German synth enthusiasts from Moebius and Roedelius to Basic Channel, Laubner is keeping the spirit of Kosmiche alive from his base deep in the Harz mountains of central Germany. All that remains is for you to discover him...