Category: Techno
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-lang=”en”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>I wasn't keen on ____________ until I saw them live.</p>— Rough Trade (@RoughTrade) <a href=”https://twitter.com/RoughTrade/status/1127574151588392960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>May 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
This is an album that could have very easily passed me by so thanks to Rough Trade Shops and there out this week Tweets for drawing my attention to it. It turns this is Apparat’s (aka Sascha Ring) first album in six years and I can barely remember anything about “Krieg und Frieden (Music for Theatre)” though I think I did listen to it on release. The good news is that “LP5” is a strong return for the now veteran producer.
“LP5” might be Apparat’s most ambient and understated release to date though he still unleashes the techno side of his sound on a smattering of tracks. But this not a boring or static album far from it, Apparat is able to use dynamic song structures and a real attention to detail in his sound design to make the listener is always engaged. Among the shimmering synths pad, soft pianos, picked electric guitar and FX is Ring’s voice as the emotional centre of the album. He’s always had a unique voice and it never fails to evoke emotion in the listener. Two great examples of all the above are second track and lead single “DAWAN” and “HEROIST” the former starts out as a spooky synthscape with it’s beat feeling barely there thanks to reverb and vocals that drift in and out of the mix then Apparat allows for a brief lull in the track only for a driving beat to taken over a push the track into a new space and then onwards to it’s conclusion. On “HEROIST” which starts out restless and adrift before finding it’s way to way the an acoustic beat that again changes course of the track. ‘LAMINAR FLOW’ and ‘BRANDENBURG’ exhibit Ring’s masterful combining of both electronic elements and organic ones e.g. Strings. hese are just a handful of highlights on an impressive and cohesive album.
I have definitely found “LP5” one of the hardest albums of My Favourite Releases of the Year… so far series to write about. I knew on first listen that I liked it and that it was a great album but expressing how and why it is has been a difficult task. I highly recommend listening to this album and just giving yourself over to it for it’s forty four minute run time. Block everything else and immense yourself in it.
Check out Apparat below and let me know what you think of “LP5” in the Comments.
This is Part One in a series of posts rounding up my favourite releases of the last three months and writing about them. Part Two will be published next Saturday.
Yak – “Pursuit of Momentary Happiness”
An early contender for Album of the Year comes from this English psychedelic rock band. Yak don’t just recycle the psychedelic (colour projector) wheel this is an album of well produced punchy and catchy songs that don’t out stay there welcome while still having the depth of albums with much longer cuts. Even when they do go long such as on album closer ‘This House Has No Living Room’ (which features J.Spaceman aka Jason Pierce of Spiritualized and Spacemen 3 fame) the song is so good (not to mention a perfect album closer) that you don’t notice the track length. A highly recommended album from a band very much on the up.
Cotonete – “Super-vilains”
I first discovered Cotonete when they popped up on a Spotify Release Radar playlist towards the end of last year. I instantly liked this French Funk band, in fact, Spotify is pretty good at finding me groovy music from the other side of the English Channel. I suspect this goes back to all the mid 70s Serge Gainsbourg albums I’ve listened in the last four years!!! Cotonete are influenced by The JB’s (James Brown’s famous late 60’s backing band), Headhunters era Herbie Hancock and Brazilian acts such as Deodato and Banda Black Rio. It’s a potent and funky cocktail with deep basslines, punchy horns, cutting rhythm guitar and a truckload of percussion atop top notch drummer David Georgelet. This is music that is at home on the dancefloor as it would soundtrack the car chase in The French Connection or when the tempo drops it’s perfect music to chill out to. I can’t recommend this album enough and I think it will be one of those under the radar gems that gets overlooked. Don’t sleep on it!!!
Malibu Ken – “Malibu Ken”
Ok, so when this album was first announced late last year my initial reaction was 1) What? This is seems like a strange collaboration (Malibu Ken is a collaboration between Underground Hip-Hop MC/Producer Aesop Rock and Psychedelic Electro Hip-Hop Producer and founder of Black Moth Super Rainbow Tobacco). 2) If it works it’s could be awesome. Then I heard the first single ‘Acid King’ and watched it’s accompanying video I was excited about the potential for the album. A couple of months later the album dropped I wasn’t disappointed the album is a fantastic blend of Electro Hip-Hop and Funk tunes with Aesop Rock bring his own verbose lyrical content and amazing flow that have become his trademark since his enter to the music world with his debut album ‘Float’ in the year 2000. This album is in and out in thirty five minutes but you don’t any more music as it’s a wholly satisfying album. If this is the only Malibu Ken album that they’ll have a 100% knockout for us all to love for years to come. If Aesop and Tobacco continue to collaborate and create albums of this quality then we’ll be incredibly lucky. What are you waiting for check it out!!!
Cosey Fanni Tutti – “Tutti”
Cosey Fanni Tutti has been a member of not one but two great Electronic music acts first of all she was a member of Industrial music pioneers Throbbing Gristle (1975-2012) and then her a partner Chris Carter (also a member of Throbbing Gristle) formed Chris & Cosey (1981-) and pursued a soft Electro/Techno direction. On her second solo album she digs deep into dark Electro/Techno territory but with a couple of surprises. The first surprise is that while you can dance to some of the tracks on this album a majority are slower and feature thicker heavier sounds. This wasn’t what I was expecting after hearing the title track on Spotify. However, this is no negative as Tutti expertly creates these atmospheric and engaging tracks. The other surprise was the use of a Cornet as the lead instrument of the title track Tutti has played violin in the past at early Throbbing Gristle shows but as far as I’m aware the Cornet is a new instrument to her. I definitely think the Cornet adds something to the title track both adding a more human feel and more dissonance. If you like Electronic music you’ll get a lot of “Tutti” it covers Electro/Techno and Ambient music across it’s tightly packed 38 minutes and doesn’t waste a single moment. It’s the sound of veteran showing she still has plenty to offer even in an ever changing world.
Octo Octa – “For Lovers” EP
This EP opens with ‘I Need You’ the most blissful ten minutes of music that I’ve heard so far this year. It’s envelopes you in it’s vocals moans and multi layered synths pads, it’s warm and welcoming and will always put a smile on your face on matter what else is going on or has gone on. Second track ‘Bodies Meld Together’ goes back to the 90’s for a breakbeat techno beat making for a hard beat but no less harmonious and luxurious synth layers and it’s a contrast that really works. The EP is rounded out by ‘Loops For Healing’ which a lilting melody with deep House chords and bass drum throb. Overall this is an EP that works thematically but each track stands alone as it’s own piece quite an achievement. Highly recommended.
Kokoroko – ‘Kokoroko’ EP
This is London 8 piece Jazz/Funk/Afrobeat band Kokoroko’s debut release though the band has been playing gigs together for a number of years now. You really should watch their set for The Boiler Room, I’ll embed it at the bottom of this post. The EP kicks off with ‘Adwa’ it’s funky Afrobeat shuffle and with bands every powerful horns taking the lead on this track. There is a break down for a guitar solo and then builds back into a sax solo before returning to the main horn refrain. The goes more down tempo and softer with their playing on the ‘Ti-de’ it’s a thoughtful track but never ponderous and the instruments have equal billing. There are even some nice female vocal harmonies towards the end of the track. ‘Uman’ is up next starting off a little slow but when the drums and bass kick in were back in Afrobeat territory again the horns the real leaders though this time they play sharp staccato lines. The EP ends with ‘Abusey Junction’ which originally appeared on the ‘We Out Here’ (2018) compilation that bought showcased the burgeoning and diverse current Jazz scene in London. The track is down tempo and focus more on the guitar, percussion, bass and electric piano compared with a lot of Kokoroko’s music to date, it’s an excellent track on a great EP. I ‘d really like to see Kokoroko live as I missed my chance last year and I can’t wait to hear what they deliver on their debut album, they are a band that has already shown they can be fantastic and yet still show so much promise.
Let me know what you think of these releases and about your favourites in the Comments below.