release me

ok, been meaning to do this for a while. here are some releases i've been enjoying lately:

matthias reiling - das gespenst von altona (giegling): the latest from giegling, one of our favourite labels of late. it is supposed to be an album, but not quite sure whether it is long enough to justify the LP tag. still a very nice release. this is a label worth following closely.

nuel - aquaplano ltd 01: this one has been a long time coming, thanks to some problems with the pressings. still, it is now out and sounds great. proof that the previous aquaplanos has definitely been a two man show. seriously impressive EP from nuel. and i should add, much respect - saw nuel deliver an absolutely killer set of power electro last week. one of the best sets i have heard in a long time.

mike parker - gph14 (geophone): no surprises here, it sounds like exactly what you'd expect from a mike parker record. and nothing wrong with that. powerful stuff. i think he has the next aquaplano ltd release, which is also very special. ah, and mike parker killed it last week too. deeper and slower than what i've heard from him previously. one of the most under-rated producers and DJs out there. i have no idea why the hell this guy hasn't played berghain. he'd destroy the place.

donato dozzy - k (further): dozzy's debut album is out in june on... tape. well, i am not the biggest fan of this format, but i ain't releasing it... the good news is that it'll be out on vinyl in september, and hopefully they will also do a digital release too. they'd be crazy not to, because this is one of the best things dozz has done in a while. ambient, tripping techno. nothing groundbreaking here, but a particular sound executed perfectly. recommended.

the black dog - music for real airports (soma): if you follow mnml ssgs on twitter (and you should), you would know i am a big, big fan of this album. perhaps my favourite release of the year. what i love about it is its ambiguity - the feelings it generates (like airports themselves) are very mixed. we are in the process of doing an interview with these guys, very excited about it. for now, go check the album.

tevo howard - without me (beautiful granville records): this one is an absolute stunner. all 4 tracks are deftly balanced. lovely old school sound. nothing too complicated, just done very very well.

roswell return - probe #5 (SD records): been wanting to hear this since it came out end of last year, finally got myself a copy. mixture of techno, ambient and electro, quality all the way. now i need to go get the other record this guy has done. if anyone knows how to get in contact with this guy, let me know. i'd love to have him do a mix for us!

sandwell district sampler one and two (sandwell district): this pair of releases really gives me faith in techno music. well, that is a big statement, let me explain. sandwell is at the top of their game now, their releases are selling well, they are getting plenty of play and recognition and so on. it'd be easy for them to get conservative and continue with the sound that has got them to this point. but with these releases they have clearly developed the sandwell sound further. it is most evident with the function track, which is a considerable break from 'burn', 'variance' etc. i won't say much more about these EPs, just get them when they come out. the sandwell boys have shown again they are miles ahead of most. respect.

ok, that is all from me for now. here are some recommendations the silent ssg dave has sent through. he has a very good music radar, so i'd take these suggestions seriously (i know i am):

denseland - chunk (mosz): it sounds like Mortiz Von Oswald Trio only with more of a industrial/tech/dub sound.  oh and it's way better too!  more complex structures and more variety yet it also sounds much tighter. [dave has this as one of his albums of 2010]

Robert Turman - Chapter Eleven (tape 4): This is brilliant lo-fi ambient stuff.  really really fantastic stuff.  this guy was really big in the 70s & 80s and did a bunch of stuff including this 8x cassette release which got reissued recently.  the whole thing is great but other tapes also have some noisy and guitar stuff there too.  it's still great though!  tape 4 seems the most accessible and electronic though.

Lussuria - Silk & Honey (hospital productions): Dunno much about this but it seems to be the best lo-fi ambient drone cassette of the year so far.

Demdike Stare – Forest of Evil (modern love): This is pretty spectacular.  this and 'denseland' are the best techno releases i've heard in ages!

Emeralds - Does It Look Like I'm Here? (editions mego): First synthy album to be on a semi-major label (mego) and it's really really brilliant.  Definitely one of the best of the year and essential listening in my opinion.

ok, that's it. more soon...