VA - Diaspora: Cottage Industries 5 (Neo Ouija)

Neo Ouija is BACK! That's right kiddies. After closing its doors in 2005, the Devon (England) based label originally started by Lee Norris (Metamatics), has re-opened its doors, and is now managed by Martin Hirsch (aka Deer and Random Noise Productions). Propelling many electronic musicians to fame, Neo Ouija is responsible for much output from Geiom, Bauri, Accelera Deck, Kettel, Funckarma, Apparat, Xela, Secede and many others! With this first double disk compilation, Hirsch is introducing us to a brand new roster of musicians. Additional contributions towards the comp include a few notables like Move D, Maps & Diagrams, and Kangding Ray. As with many other collections showcasing the upcoming works, it is difficult to pinpoint a specific genre, especially across a large radius umbrella like Neo Ouija. This fifth installment of Cottage Industries series, titled Diaspora, traverses the styles across its thirty (30!) tracks. Starting off with an excellent IDM track by MXM (an artist I'm planning on watching closely from now on), the selection of tracks on the first disk progresses into tech house, dub techno, and deep house. The second disk is a favorite of mine, and features more experimental, glitchy downtempo and IDM. At number twelve, another favorite of mine, Seven Ark, returns with familiar twisted loops, melodic pads and few remains of bouncing marbles with a track titled Version 2. The compilation signs off with a short ambient interlude from Nacht Plank And Shintaro Aoki that wets my appetite for the things to come. I'm really happy that Neo Ouija is back and I congratulate Martin Hirsch on resurecting the label that will continue contributing towards evolution of sound.



myspace.com/neoouija | neoouija.com

Claro Intelecto - Metanarrative (Modern Love)

After four volumes of Warehouse Sessions and a few additional twelve inchers on Modern Love, Mark Stewart releases his sophomore LP on the same label. Stewart began his Claro Intelecto project in 2003 on Manchester's IDM label, AI, with a Peace of Mind EP. He quickly followed the release with the acclaimed Neurofibro (named after his genetic disease). Metanarrative is more melodic than the preceding EPs, centered around deep bass groans and minimal grinds building up the postmodernist grand narrative. Stewart infuses the Detroit influenced UK beats with his IDM and electro background, creating an album that spans the sub-genres from dub techno to tech-house. This sound falls somewhere around cold warehouse nights and deep underground lounges, where the walls vibrate with bass, killing all the vermin in the process. In Neurofibro, I found myself attached to a handful of glitchy tracks on the wavelength of Arovane, Nautilis and Tipper. This time, Stewart has left his experimental touch in the past, and in Metanarrative we're only offered the straight up four-to-the-floor beats. The bpm doesn't scour or trot, instead it bathes in its leisurely rhythm. Combine that with a short album playtime (40 min), and you find yourself hitting play again after eight tracks. Recommended if follow Ricardo Villalobos, Alex Smoke and Lawrence.

claro-intelecto.com | myspace.com/claro_intelecto
modern-love.co.uk

Ricardo Villalobos - Fabric 36 (Fabric)

The label created by the London’s club Fabric, and known for their mix CDs, featuring sounds from some staple names like Carl Craig, Adam Beyer, and even John Digweed, brings you its 36th installment of minimal tech house by Ricardo Villalobos. Born in Santiago, Chile, Villalobos moved to Germany at the age of three. At the age of 24 (1994) he released his first EP on Playhouse, followed by a debut LP almost 9 years later, titled Alcachofa, on the same label. Since then, Villalobos has been enjoying a stream of consistent quality minimal, micro, and tech house releases. Villalobos’ three other aliases are Bispeed Black, Richard Wolfsdorf, and Termiten; his most notable collaborations include Social Being with Justin McNulty, and Ric Y Martin with Santiago born Martin Schopf (aka Dandy Jack). Fabric 36 is a continuous mix, compiled of mostly Villalobos’ tracks and mixed by himself - it thus can be treated as an album. The rhythms are simple, light and groovy, and I loose myself in the hypnotic sound over and over, as the tracks effortlessly blend into one another, and ride on. This may come off counter-intuitive for some critics of techno, but I often use such minimal sound as a tool: to relax, clear my mind, and on occasion even cure a headache. Recommended if you like Matthew Dear (False), Dominik Eulberg, Marc Houle and Gabriel Ananda.

myspace.com/ricardovillalobos00 | cocoon.net
myspace.com/fabricfamily | fabriclondon.com