
While Bjarki’s prolific output has dominated much of the conversation around Kraviz’s label, it feels as if Biogen’s music is more attuned to the Russian’s anything-goes DJ style: jungle, electro and ambient music jostle for attention alongside 160 BPM acid tracks and ‘90s braindance rhythms that owe a debt to the early Warp roster. The imprint’s latest album-length project is a little more poignant, a collection of unreleased and little-known tracks from Sigurbjörn Þorgrímsson aka Biogen, an Icelandic producer who was deeply embedded in the country’s hardcore scene in the early ‘90s and died in 2011. Nina Kraviz’s трип label has introduced several unknown names to a wider audience, not least Bjarki, whose techno star continues to ascend. Who knows what he’ll cook up next, but it’s bound to be meaty. But there’s still splendor to be found in the instrumental tracks: ‘Castration’, with its distorted percussion and alien-like synths, and ‘Whip’ prove that Ghersi is still a producer, first and foremost. Here, Alejandro Ghersi peels back some of the layers that have defined his future-facing club sound to reveal a beautiful, and at times, vulnerable vocal – primarily improvised stories and sung in the Venezuelan artist’s native tongue of Spanish – that can hit operatic, glass-shattering highs, while still dipping into the lower octaves (and screaming – at the live show) with equal measure.Īlbum openers ‘Piel’ and ‘Anoche’ introduce you to Ghersi’s untreated voice, which he delivers with a kind of rawness that is relatively unheard of in this Auto-Tuned age. JTĪrca’s self-titled third album walks a fine line between confrontational and classical – a feat very few artists have managed to pull off well. The album plays like a continuous groove, melting and solidifying at various points throughout, allowing familiar sounds – pulsing, funk-influenced basslines Chicago house bleeps the haunted echoes of electro and proto-hip-hop – to occasionally break through its noisy, tape-saturated membrane. There aren’t really highlights to skip to or low points to avoid. It harks back to the now-legendary Thriller 12”s to reveal the thumping Afro-futurist heart that lies at the center of Darren Cunningham’s bloodshot sound.

his most thoughtful, but AZD is pure, distilled Actress. Sure, Hazyville may have been his most raw, Splazsh his most surprising and R.I.P. Play it loud enough and Dilloway sounds like he’s trying to rip his way out through your speakers the genius of The Gag File is making you feel as if he just might. At one point we just hear his pained screams, out-of-breath grunts and bashing fists, a sequence that will leave even a seasoned noise aficionado uncomfortable.

It’s a labyrinthine journey, with Dilloway’s alternately panic-stricken and rage-blind vocals cast as its Minotaur. It’s a record you get lost in - and not in the relaxing way.
Hallogen sonic synth cracked#
The brief 36-minute runtime seems to stretch endlessly once you step into Dilloway’s hall of cracked mirrors, incoherent murmurs, suffocating feedback loops and panic-inducing field recordings. That might be a good thing: The Gag File is so terrifying, we’re not sure we could take any more. His run of solo albums might be even more impressive, despite being a rare occurrence – the last, Modern Jester, was released back in 2012. Whether you’re into extreme noise, dusty house or club rap, there’s something for everyone here.ĭespite leaving the band in 2005, Aaron Dilloway’s maddening tape loops gave many of Wolf Eyes’s finest records an unmatched psychotic, damaged soul.

The following 25 records should serve to remind you that music’s never been more absorbing, challenging and distinct. In just the last three months, we’ve been treated to career-defining material from veteran Japanese innovator Ryuichi Sakamoto, anthemic summer belters from London’s J Hus, Jlin’s forward-thinking footwork experimentation, a new Kendrick Lamar album and so much more bubbling just beneath the surface.

Hallogen sonic synth free#
Club spaces, while still decidedly unsafe for many in the dance community, are at least being urged to maintain a level of accountability that should inform the next wave of radical improvements.Īnd even while sinister global forces threaten to snuff out free thought and diverse artistic expression, the run of releases piling up in FACT’s inbox has rarely looked more encouraging. Traditionally regressive, masculine gig line-ups are suddenly looking markedly different, showing a level of diversity that’s been demanded in no uncertain terms.
Hallogen sonic synth full#
With the sun shining on both sides of the Atlantic and festival season in full swing, it’s easy to be optimistic. The must-hear releases that have lit up Spring 2017.
