Page 76 - Zone Magazine Issue 030 - Lexicon Avenue

//TUNES
TECHNO & HARD TECHNO //
ABYSSVM - ESUM [RESILIENT RECORDINGS 008]
I am a big fan of this new label from Mathieu F and Eddie Santini and have been playing this release for a while now (This just missed the deadline for the Xmas edition of Zone) Title track by Vicenza's mysterious ABYSSVM is a cool dark acid track which is quite stripped back in places, although the big acidic build up on the break would give Josh Wink a run for his money! Roentgen Limiter ups the acid with his harder, rolling remix with added bleeps, but for me it's the Eddie Santini version which really stands out and puts a big grin on my fat face. It has a powerful long noted key changing bass line in a Remainings III, Dk8 or Piccoto's Verdi kind of manner, which is always a winner if done right. Accompany this with tough driving tribal rhythms and the original acid given some extra movement and squelch and you have a Monster on your hands! Love it! https://www.beatport.com/release/esum/2806262
NEWKS - CREDENCE EP [UKR 164]
Its no secret that I'm a huge fan of Plymouth's Newks (aka Matt Holberton). I've been playing and supporting his music for the last couple years and just love his sound. I've also been lucky enough to remix one of his tracks and get him to release on my label aswell. Well this was always gonna be good release, not just as its Newks but because its also on one of my fave labels to come out of the U S of A, UKR. I Love UKR and they are such a consistent label. (Big respect to Roman Zawodny and King Les) Title track 'Credence' heavily reminds me of the Gaetano Parisio remix of AK47 which is an old favourite of mine. It has this deep, hypnotic evolving bass line throughout, clever percussion patterns which build into marching hits and plenty of quality fx and atmosphere. There is more crystal clear production on 'Four Organisms' which is quite a bleepy affair with shuffling hats and a wooden clave like hit a constant. 'Full Clip' is the thumper from Matt, heads down rattling hard Techno with excellent rhythmic percussive elements, crazy atmospherics and quirky noises. Last but not least 'Lucius' is the more industrial sounding of the 4. Another slab of A* grade driving Techno with clever Hi hats that change from on the beat to the off beat to keep you guessing and lots of crazy hat rolls. Top release this. Check all four out! https://www.beatport.com/release/credence-ep/2813142
ALIGNMENT - EVER GONE EP [SUARA]
Suara (The label run by Spanish DJ and Producer Coyu) is back with some more fast and energetic crossover Techno, this time from Alignment. Fresh from having one of his tracks played by Amelie Lens on her Fabric CD compilation, aswell as releases on Etruria Beat and voxnox Records, title track 'Ever Gone' follows in a similar fashion and bridges gaps between the kind of Techier side of dare i say it 'Hard Trance' and Hard Techno. It's a rolling big room thumper with plenty of acidic licks. My favourite though is 'Vision' which is a driving 140 bpm slammer with excellent cut up vocals and a catchy electro synth that certainly grabs your attention. Cool stuff! https://www.beatport.com/release/ever-gone-ep/2854112
MR. G PRES. THE ALIEN WITH EXTRAORDINARY ABILITIES [PHEONIX G]
I'm sure most reading this are well aware, but if not Mr. G is the alias of legendary UK House and Techno producer 'Colin McBean' who
used to produce as part of 'The Advent' with Cisco Ferreira before going solo in 2001. I was lucky enough to catch a Mr. G Set at Glastonbury a few years back and his live performances are something else. The way he manipulates his simple set up of an Akai MPC 2000XL and a 12 channel mixer is wicked and his stage presence and funky dancing is always a crowd pleaser. This is his eighth studio album and we are treated to six tracks here on his own 'Phoenix G' imprint. Track 1 'Embassy' is a bass heavy slab of quality Breakbeat Tech Funk, with an old school 'Come my selecta' sample which will work on many dance floors whether that be House, Techno, Breaks, Old School etc. Track 2 'Late Night @ Montechello' Is a Tech House groover with lovely deep chord progressions and a 'The Way You Rock, Oh Baby Don't Stop' vocal. 'LDB Pt 3 and' Soundbath @ The Loft' are 2 slices of beautiful ambient interludes with swirling atmospherics and luscious chords, with the latter being the deepest. My picks however are 'The made' With its deep heavy drone bass and crisp 909 ride cymbals carrying you along and 'Met D @ The Gathering' Which is by far the toughest. A relentless 909 fuelled Techno slammer, with an ace warping evolving synth bass. I suggest you all check out Mr. G! https://www.deejay.de/Mr_G_The_Alien_With_Extraordinary_Abilities_PG062_Vinyl__944683
THE DIVIDE - MOLECULAR PHUNK [PLAYER RECORDINGS 187]
The Divide is back! Back in the days of the Blackout Audio forum, he posted some of my all time favourite live sets and his releases on labels such as Fine Audio, Mastertraxx and Blackout Audio we're off the scale, so this is exciting news indeed and what a label to make your comeback on! Daniel Furniss (Aka The Divide) supplies the legendary Player Recordings with three awesome originals here. '5yntax 3rror' is a thumping Hard Techno cut of Immense power, with very clever fx and edits and a beautiful forever evolving mad synth line throughout. 'Move Like This' is a driving futuristic cut which reminds me of those aforementioned live sets from years back, full of clever edits and crisp production. It's hard to pick a favourite here, but I'm slightly leaning towards the title track 'Molecular Phunk'. It has such a lovely deep bass groove, crystal clear percussion and amazing evolving bass line that comes in after the 1 minute 35 mini break that just builds and builds and grabs your body and twists you all over the shop dancing like some kind of deranged loon! (Well that was me when I first heard it). You MUST check this release out! https://www.discogs.com/The-Divide-Molecular-Phunk-EP/release/14776062
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