ANCIENT METHODS, 2012 // 12″ / BUY: VINYL
The latest transmission from Berlin-based techno imprint Ancient Methods (#6) serves up three tracks of looped, no-nonsense industrial techno courtesy of Ugandan Methods – a collaboration project of Regis (Karl O’Connor, aka Ugandan Speed Trials) and Ancient Methods. Truth be told, most of the AM stuff is way too heavy for my taste but this EP pulls the right strings. Devastating, especially the A-side.
100% SILK, 2012 // LP / BUY: VINYL / DIGITAL
936 by Peaking Lights (released on the LA-based Not Not Fun Records) has been hyped to death as one of the best albums of 2011. Honestly, I’m not sure why as I find the album to be nothing special, maybe even a bit boring. Anyway. Not Not Fun sister label 100% Silk just dropped a nice 12″ featuring remixes of tracks from 936 by fellow Silk artists Ital, Innergaze, Xander Harris and Cuticle. I like the old-school drum programming and acid house feel of Innergaze’s rework of “Shines For U”. The track has a nice analog vibe to it that just works.
Here’s one from the vaults. Produced by Ken Leray and Geraint Hughes and released in 1982, the vocal version of “Systems Breaking Down” by the mysterious Anna is one of my all-time favorite synth-pop tracks. Proper Balearic vibes paired with Anna’s spooky and tortured vocals all add up to one helluva classic track. There’s also a more dubbed-out version on the B-side.
The original 12″ vinyl pressing will set you back quite a lot, however, this bootleg has been floating around since 2009 (yeah, the sound quality is terrible). The vocal version can also be found on this fantastic compilation from Electunes.
HYDRA HEAD RECORDS, 2011 // LP / BUY: VINYL / CD
Prurient’s Bermuda Drain LP dropped out of nowhere and it blew my mind instantly. I picked it up mainly because I was curious about the small sticker on the sleeve: “LISTEN ON HEADPHONES AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING THROUGH TUNNELS IN EUROPE.” I mean, dude, I had to check it out!
Prurient is the stage and production alias of Dominick Fernow (aka Vatican Shadow) who also runs the New York-based Hospital Productions label. It turns out that Fernow has been putting out records and performing live with various U.S. noise bands since the late 90s. I’m not very familiar with his extensive discography and various aliases, but according to numerous articles and reviews I found on the web, Bermuda Drain is his most diverse and emotionally charged album to date. Standout cuts? Definitely “Palm Tree Corpse,” “Let’s Make a Slave,” and the hyper-charged “Watch Silently” and “Sugar Cane Chapel”.
Truth to be told, I’ve never really been into noise or black metal, but this album has introduced me to music and sounds I didn’t even know I would like. I didn’t do my 2011 EoY list last year, but if I did, Bermuda Drain would have likely been listed somewhere very close to the top.
PRURIENT – Bermuda Drain by Hydra Head Records
PYE CORNER AUDIO, 2012 // DIGITAL / BUY: DIGITAL
Another year, another fabulous selection of 1/4″ and cassette tapes sourced and transferred by Pye Corner Audio‘s mighty Head technician. Black Mill Tapes Volume 3 follows last year’s Volume 2 which I enjoyed a lot. Subtitled ‘All Pathways Open,’ Volume 3 features a blend of vintage synthesizer electronics and various radiophonic obscurities across twelve tracks and 44+ minutes. Once again, music so great and satisfying that I gladly paid six quid for it.
HOOKER VISION, 2011 // CASSETTE / BUY: CASSETTE / DIGITAL
Mohave Triangles is the alter ego of North Carolina-based producer Robert Thompson. According to his Facebook page, Thompson is into ‘mysticism, altered states, exploring consciousness and primitive music.’ Very interesting. Released on the killer Georgia-based Hooker Vision imprint, Eternal Light Of The Desert Plateaus sounds like something that could be a soundtrack to a vintage National Geographic video. Ambient drones, primitive field recordings and psychedelia – I’m totally feeling the sound of it.
For more stuff from Thompson check out his Bandcamp page here.
DEEPCHORD, 2000 // 12″ / BUY: VINYL
Released in 2000 on the now legendary Detroit-based dub techno imprint DeepChord, dcv09 is a split 12″ between Mike Schommer (Lux) and Rod Modell (A601-2) of Echospace. I paid nearly 50 dollars for a secondhand copy just because of the B1 cut “River Place” which, in my opinion, is one of Modell’s best and most enjoyable transmissions to date. I simply can’t get enough of this track. Hey Rod, if you’re reading this: repress is very much needed.
AUDIO: “River Place” (YouTube)
2011 has been a great year for reissues. Starting with Conrad Schnitzler’s seminal LP Con (reissued as Ballet Statique by the good folks at M=Minimal), Harald Grosskopf’s Synthesist, classics from Drexciya, UR and Arthur Russell, and ending with one of my all-time favorite acts: Throbbing Gristle.
For those of you who have no clue (is that even possible?) who Throbbing Gristle are and their impact on electronic music, here’s some starting points to kick off your research: TG’s Wikipedia, their official website and this excellent article by Federico Nessi. TG’s history is also the subject of Simon Ford’s excellent book Wreckers Of Civilization: The Story of COUM Transmissions & Throbbing Gristle which has been out of print for ages and thus pretty hard to come by.
You cannot imagine how happy I was when I first heard that Industrial Records is about to be restarted and reissue all the iconic TG LPs – freshly remastered and repressed for the first time in ages. The original pressings go for hundreds of dollars on Discogs and eBay, so that added even more to my happiness. So far I purchased three of them: The Second Annual Report, D.o.A and 20 Jazz Funk Greats, and I’m planning to acquire the remaining two in the next couple of weeks. TG’s Chris Carter did an awesome job with the remastering and I can confirm that all three LPs sound fantastic. Each LP is housed in a pictured sleeve with visually reconstructed original artwork and 8-page full size booklet featuring vintage photos of the band, newspaper clippings and various artwork. As far as I can tell, each LP is limited to 2,000 copies only, so don’t sleep on this for too long.
You can read more on the remastering process in Carter’s own words here or listen to the excellent Carter/Tutti interview with the Quietus below.
Chris Carter & Cosey Fanni Tutti Interview, Rough Trade East by theQuietus
SANDWELL DISTRICT, 2011 // 12″ / BUY: VINYL / DIGITAL
The latest 12″ from the ever-satisfying Sandwell District collective features two pounding techno cuts courtesy of an anonymous producer who goes by the name Rrose. The B-side, “Waterfall,” sounds in many ways similar to Teste’s classic “The Wipe” and it is also my track of choice here – an intense, ear-shredding dose of techno that will shake you to the core. Heavy.
AUDIO: “Shepherd’s Brine” / “Waterfall” (YouTube)
YOUNG TURKS, 2011 // 12″ / BUY: VINYL
Berlin-based producer Objekt offers two alternate and more techno friendly “VIP” versions of his otherwise unappealing remix of SBTRKT’s “Wildfire” for the first SBJEKT 12″ on the London-based Young Turks imprint. The Dub mix is easily one of the heaviest and loudest techno cuts I’ve heard this year. Unsurprisingly, the record comes on hand-stamped white label vinyl and limited to 500 copies.