Best New Releases from November 2018
November continued carrying out the ADE vibes to the most intricate and deepest shades of the underground house and techno, bringing the power of creativity and expanding horizons of the electronic music landscapes with stunning releases, gorgeous albums and mesmerizing remixes in the likes of Davis, Caldera, Map.ache, Personal Message., Roman Flügel, Human Space Machine, Rising Sun, The Drifter, Sebastian Mullaert, Hannu Karjalainen released via Cin Cin, Boogie Box Records, Giegling, Solar Phenomena, Into The Woods, De Lichting, Styrax Electronica, Aniara Recordings, Siamese and Kingdoms.
map.ache
Seis
Giegling
Map.ache comes to the cult Weimar powerhouse Giegling with a long-awaited full-length LP titled ‘Vom Ende biz zum Anfang' translates to “From The End To The Beginning”.
Music produced by map.ache is always an exquisite musical journey. On his latest highly-anticipated album, the KANN co-founder and one half of the DJ duo Manamana have stepped beyond the realm of impressions and harmonies to create a diversely cosmic pastorale, a gorgeous sound-seducing world of house and techno that was only hinted at on “Dream Awake”, the album’s first teaser.
The album opener “Seis” is a beautiful escape from reality. Map.ache masterfully paints an infinite landscape of dreamy nostalgia where melancholic moods evoke inner impressionistic feelings through the kaleidoscopes of sound.
Human Space Machine
Feels
De Lichting
The sizable talent and partnership between three Dutch underground record labels such as Yield Records, Native Response and Working Titles came together again in form of the De Lichting collective for an impressive second compilation “Twee”. The record boasts a beautiful collection of eleven tracks that range from subtle ambient works to deep, atmospheric techno. The double vinyl album displays De Lichting’s diversity perfectly showcasing their free-flowing creativity and vision.
The Native Response stalwart Human Space Machine brings his elegant techno touch to the compilation. With delicate textures of abstract ambiance “Feels” sails off into the hypnotic atmosphere with introspective synth patterns, floating pads, and rolling percussion that hover between outwardly endless and crushingly inward looking.
Rising Sun
Give Me Love (The Ambienitist Remix I)
Styrax Electronica
Berlin-based prolific producer of ambient house Rising Sun has garnered appreciation beyond Germany with a string of successful releases through underground record labels like Fauxpas Musik, Kristofferson Kristofferson, Disco Dance Records, Just Another Beat, among others. On this latest offering, Rising Sun has kept to his trippy and emotive musical essays and returns to fray his own Styrax Electronica imprint to bring a stunning brand-new “Realism” EP. The long player spans six tracks of beautifully cascading breakbeats filled with melancholy and features a mesmerizing remix from The Ambientist.
His breath-taking Traumprinz-like interpretation of the “Give Me Love” takes the listener into deep and evocative sonic caverns painted with delicate touches of breakbeat magnificence and atmospheric ambiance.
Personal Message.
GO 985
Solar Phenomena
Enigmatic producer Personal Message. assures that Solar Phenomena closes out the year on a high note, delivering an elegant and hypnotic four tracker. Entitled “Lost Targets“, it’s an impressive set of dark and mysterious rhythms with an atmospheric house and techno streak, showcasing artist’s subtle but effective finesse.
The atmospheric and submerged “GO 985” brings together a gorgeous ensemble of warm chords washes, rich ambient soundscapes, and mesmerizing rhythmic twists. At time melancholic and delicate, this track is perfect for after-hours.
Wa Wu We
What’s Left (Super Strip Mix)
Aniara Recordings
The highly regarded Swedish producer Sebastian Mullaert, also known as Minilogue, makes a notable appearance on the always reliable Aniara Records under his new alias, Wa Wu We. The moniker of this project reflects Mullaert’s interest in mystical symbolism of Buddhism: “Wa” is translated from Japanese as both “circle” and “peace”, “Wu” is a Buddhist term in reference to the interconnectedness of all things, and “We”, simply stand for we. Entitled “What’s Left”, the EP features three versions of a title track. In the second version of the single, “What’s Left (Super Strip Mix)”, Sebastian Mullaert brings his sheer hypnotism through the tracks' minimal waves of sound, omitting the lucid monologue and focusing on the intricately textured undertones and ambient atmospherics.
Shiffer
Ourselves Behind Ourselves (The Drifter Remix)
Siamese
The latest installment from Adriatique’s Siamese imprint comes courtesy of the Swiss producer Shiffer. After his first appearance on the label in 2017, Shiffer makes a return with a solo record backed with a mighty remix by Maeve boss The Drifter. Here is what label are s intend to say about this release:
"After the summer break, we are proud to reveal the next record on Siamese. Shiffer, who surfaced on the first Siamese Anthology in 2017, is returning with a full EP, „Soul Masks“. Right after we received the first demos of this talented, in Basel, Switzerland born musician, we knew we have a story to tell. Far away from trends and expectations, Shiffer is creating unique dance music with a certain depth and warmth. Ever evolving this is the right moment to release this beautiful record, also featuring a great remix from The Drifter that was successfully tested on various grounds on the road. We know Mark for quite some time now and we remember talking to him about a possible appearance on the label right after we started. We are very happy to finally have him on board as we are supporters of his music and persona since a while.”
The Drifter’s take on “Ourselves Behind Ourselves” morphs the groove-oriented original into the powerful dancefloor twister.
Maheras
Tartessos (Roman Flügel remix)
Into The Woods
Into The Woods Recordings label boss, Jimmy Maheras returns to his own imprint with a fresh new single that captures a deep and moody sound that flows perfectly with its ethereal vibe. The edgy and powerful “Tartessos” comes with a superb remix from a legendary electronic music producer Roman Flügel.
German producer delivers his own hazy and illusive interpretation of “Tartessos” with it's continuously expanding atmosphere, a hypnotic groove formed from diffuse and dubbed fragments of a mesmerizing sonic architecture.
Davis
Clone Heart
Cin Cin
The twelfth installment of Fort Romeau’s and Ali Tillett’s split 12’s series ‘Cin Cin’ brings together two incredibly talented and already established artists, the Spanish multifaceted artist Pional and a key figure of San Paulo’s vibrant underground techno and house scene Davis. Sharing the spotlight in equal measure, each artist contributes two original tracks towards a new split “Time Of The G’s / Clone Heart” EP.
On the B-side, the master of the futuristic techno Davis, who previously turned heads with his impressive releases on Live At Robert Johnson, Endless, Connaisseur, Innervisions and his own, In their Feelings imprint, embarks on a bright sonic adventure towards stardom with a retro-futuristic “Clone Heart”. Fusing the iconic 80s-inspired synthwave and the modern future house, Davis creates a mesmerizing tapestry of diverse influences that co-exist together within the cosmic realm.
Caldera
Old Hands
Boogie Box Records
Emerging onto the underground electronic music landscape just a few years back, the Brighton-based producer Caldera has gone on to release a steady string of records through Noorden, WNCL Recording, and his own Riviera Club label.
Following on from last year’s well-received “134% OK” EP released via WNCL Recording, Caldera makes his first appearance on Boogie Box Records with a brand new “13 17” EP. Spread across four tracks, this hypnotic package is laced with quality and style.
“Old Hands” sees Caldera indulge in a beautifully crafted micro-house layered with subtle left-filed overtones, frosty textures, and abstract ambient sounds.
Hannu Karjalainen
Carnivorous Flower
Kingdoms
November sees the Finnish composer, producer, visual artist, and filmmaker Hannu Karjalainen releasing his latest album “Drift” via Francis Harries’s imprint Kingdom. The latest sonic collection of seven tracks “sees Karjalainen continue his exploration in a new direction - touching on field recordings, soundscapes, and esoteric instrumentation to build a truly meditative and moving record”, explains the label.
With the second composition “Carnivorous Flower”, Karjalainen displays a subtle and introspective elegance, incorporating flowing instrumental arrangements, crooning drones and ambient textures to create intricate and beautiful sonic soundscapes.