Search the Community

Artist: Lauge & Baba Gnohm Title: Daybreak EP Label: Soundmute Recordings Date: March, 2014 01 - Memories (80 BPM) 02 - Southern Hemisphere (80 BPM) 03 - Daybreak (feat. Mikkel Govertz) (80 BPM) I wrote this review back in March so excuse the hell out of me if it's a little dated. Seriously. What. The. F*ck. Where's the motherf*ckin' grass! Freezing my cottontail off! The calendar says Spring, but Mother Nature continues to give us the finger and thinks we need some more winter. Punxsutawney Phil has long been drawn and quartered as the sky dumps another deluge of cold, white powder. My wife hates the stuff, but I love it. It's quiet. Peaceful. Pure. This just came up on Ektoplazm and I'm sure glad it did. The Danish downtempo super duo is known for dreamy atmospheres and slow beats. The first release from them is no exception. Originally out in 2009 this can be warm or cold, but it is always pensive and guides you donw melancholy memory lane. Memories is like a fresh rain for a new starting point. Southern Hemisphere's slow groove puts the listener on a journey across space where a lonely astronaut strums an acoustic guitar. The final track Daybreak is a prog rock dreamscape with delicate piano twinkling amidst analog synths. What a great ep. Smooth, beautiful, dreamy downtempo with character. Thumbs way up gentlemen! Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Flowertz Title: Avocado EP Label: Ektoplazm Date: March, 2014 1. Avocado 2. FreeForm 3. Psychedelic Dance I don't like avocados. They have a very rich green color and look like they should taste sweet like a fruit. But they don't. F*ck you Subway it's not a super food. It's a super villain food. I even came up with a cool super villain name. The Chameleon. This three track EP is from Italian Gianpiero Fiorelli (like I needed to tell you he was Italian) and it's got some strong bas and head nodding goodness. There are plenty of sounds to enjoy, but it's a little light on evolution. The last track Psychedelic Dance is more of a mid-tempo piece, but it also suffers from the same pitfall. Pretty good EP, but nothing extraordinary. The mastering was done by Colin Oood giving it a rich, warm quality. Still don't like avocados though. Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Schlang Title: Little Information Deposits EP Label: Ektoplazm Date: March, 2014 01 - Gangster Computer God (75/150) 02 - Philip K. Dick Stuff (128) 03 - Plus Or Minus (67.5/135) 04 - OneHundreds (80/160) What is the fascination with project names that sound like a man's junk? Schlang is one vowel away from being known as the private parts of a man. And to title your EP Little Information Deposits suggest that you and your tiny junk have a leaking problem. Maybe Schlang is German for Itchy Weiner. Meh, maybe it's only my juvenile mind. I say itchy cause this sh*t is glitchy with heavily manipulated samples. There are elements of techno, electro, and dub all over break beats. Some of it is well done, but there are a LOT of samples. Too many I would say and the long tracks can make the listener weary. Frequent changes can be good, but there wasn't any phrase or part in any of the tracks which I could grab on to. And if you don't grab me right away then I'll be happy to introduce you to one of my closest friends. "Hi there, have you had the pleasure of meeting my dear friend the delete button?" Free at Ektoplazm Mdk

Artist: Skizologic Title: ReMind EP Label: Zion 604 Date: March, 2014 1. Infinity 2. Funky Virus 3. Kali Power 4. Boundless (Skizologic Remix) - Prana 5. MS Blast (2014 Edit) 6. MS Blast (Shakta Remix) 1903. Is this what Europe still uses to deliver the f*cking mail? I realize I have taken up residence in the colonies, but a minimum of two weeks to get a CD? Why not just tie it to a pigeon and throw it in my general direction? One of the many reasons I love Zion 604. Me buy CD me get instant high quality download. And when the stagecoach does finally pull to the front of my house with the CD I don't even have to open it. Zion has ripped it for me. It's like fast food without the guilt or the self hate after I just polished off a double Whopper with large fries and drink. King me! This is Maor Hasbani who compiled a previous Zion 604 release called The Kingdom. It sounds a lot like Braincell if he was infatuated with goa trance. Mastered by Mr. Eat Static Merv Perpler it sounds glorious and punchy with a rich bottom end that doesn't sacrifice the mids or the highs. Crystal clear. The tracks are comprised of strong bass lines you can feel in your chest. The grooves are twisted and the leads are gritty. Melodies? Yeah, but not the twirling, layered type. He doesn't seem interested in carrying you to Nirvana, he wants to throw you there with a catapult. Maybe a cannon is involved, but he brings the power along with squelching 303's on a track like Kali Power. It's chunky and organic with good use of percussive sounds. Very psychedelic. There's even a Shakta remix for lovers of the old school days. Before I rated the tracks I kept listening to it over and over to see if I got tired of it. One drawback may be that it sounds too similar, but with only 6 tracks and the absolute great sound it held up. There were periods where I wasn't that blown away, but then he would launch into some distinctly goa riffs that thrust me back into things. I find it a good mix of goa and psytrance that maintains its psychedelic vibe. On top of it all the digipak comes with a mix he did with Shidapu. At least that's what Bandcamp says, since I haven't had to open my copy. Recommended. Bandcamp Mdk

Artist: Lifeforms Title: Sub Standards EP Label: Iono Music Date: March, 2014 1. Sub Standards 2. Extraterrestrial If you like lush, atmospheric tapestries of sound in the psygressive vein then this duo is for you. It's a short two track ep, but not a measure is wasted. It's grand with effects and synths echoing toward the unreachable horizon. Gentle and forceful during the same track, this is living breathing music. If you're a fan of the Iono style (like I am) put your headphones on and just drift. Well done. Beatport Psyshop Mdk