From Far Out Recordings‘ in-house producer, Daniel Maunick‘s debut solo album Macumba Quebrada conjures scenes of collective hedonism from start to finish. Spanning Afro-Brazilian spiritual dance ceremonies, late-eighties Detroit techno parties and jungle and broken beat raves in nineties London, Maunick celebrates our instinctive, age-old desire to come together and lose our sense of self.
Reflecting his dual residence between Rio de Janeiro and East London, Macumba Quebrada features deep house stompers and broken bangers littered with Brazilian rhythms – in the form of both dusty percussion and Maunick’s intricate drum programming. But the album sees Daniel draw inspiration from across the black music continuum, and the rich histories of communal celebration in Detroit techno, Chicago house, London D’n’B and New York disco. Bringing all this together in explosive peak-time club tracks, moments of eerie ambience, South American swing and tribal earthiness, Macumba Quebrada expands on Maunick’s recent vinyl-only EPs A Vicious Circle and Sombra Do Dragao, with a 13-track double LP and 14-track CD and digital release.
3 preview tracks of Macumba Quebrada below.
Macumba Quebrada is released by Far Out Recordings
Samy Birnbach is member of post-punk / wave band Minimal Compact and responsible for compiling the classic downtempo / ambient late 90s Freezone series on SSR Records (parent label of Crammed).
Samy Birnbach, aka Dj Morpheus, has worked to compile a new release for Musique Pour La Danse. Titled “Beauty Now For The Future [Lysergically United]”, the release features a number of post punk, wave and alt rock tracks – many of which are notoriously difficult to find and rare. Tracklist can be seen here. Streaming is now available online with the release forthcoming both on vinyl and digital from December 6th.
“Created around the Ghent guitarist and composer Jo De Geest, the Belgian sextet draw on influences from jazz, rock and post-classical music, where minimalism, electronics and a cinematic atmosphere characterize their instrumental music.”
When it came to recording the album, the band searched for a balance between the venturous, accessible and playful character of jazz music, in which John Ghost has its origins, and a carefully thought out selection process with the production, with a sharp eye and ear for detail. Seemingly simple earwigs are underpinned by driving undertones that inspire harmonic twists and a rhythmic and melodic stratification, that often results in a very danceable soundtrack.
‘Airships Are Organisms’ was produced by Jørgen Træen (Jaga Jazzist, Kaizers Orchestra, Hubro, Sondre Lerche,…).
Artwork by Syrian visual artist Mohammed Zaza, currently living and working in Lausanne.
Listen to two tracks from John Ghost ‘Airships Are Organisms’ new album.
‘Airships Are Organisms’ is released by Sdban Ultra
Jeff Mills announces release of another installment in The Direcot’s Cut series for October 2019
Sight, Sound And Space is a multi-format project containing three CDs and a 50-page booklet. It uses material from Mills’ extensive catalog, such as tracks from 2015’s Woman In The Moon and 2006’s One Man Spaceship, to express his “deep-seated thoughts” on the concepts that fascinate him most: sight, sound and space.
The first disc, entitled Sight, is comprised of music created for films or moving images. CD2, Sound, is a compilation of tracks “that have a unique and specific type of sound to them.” Third is Space, which compiles pieces related to outer space, space travel and celestial life. There is also a booklet, called And, where Mills provides commentary and explanations for each of his selections.
“I’ve found you’ve got to look back at the old things and see them in a new light.” John Coltrane
Trailer 1
Trailer 2
Sight, Sound and Space will be released on October 4th via Jeff Mills own Axis label.
It’s not a stretch to call Kr!z one of the most important figures in modern techno. Founded in 2007, his Token label has been a leading outlet for heady, purist sounds, launched at a time when new records in that style were lacking. “I went through my collection of records, and there were maybe ten people that I felt like weren’t putting out new stuff at the time,” he told RA in a label of the month feature in 2012. Throughout Token’s 12 years of operation, it’s released hit records from Ben Klock, Surgeon and Rødhåd, all while cultivating a core roster of acts that includes Sigha, Inigo Kennedy and Ø [Phase]. Groovy, precise and usually hypnotic, the Token sound is broad but recognisable, recalling the golden age of ’90s techno.
But Kr!z isn’t only a background figure. A skilled DJ with sharp focus and a quick mixing style, he plays internationally most weekends, known for high-energy sets influenced by the same ’90s heroes who inspire his label. We hear those influences on this week’s RA podcast, a tunnelling trip through the sounds that fuel Token. Deeper than what you might hear Kr!z play out, there are tracks from pioneers like Jeff Mills and James Ruskin, along with selections from modern innovators such as Actress and Stanislav Tolkachev. As always, the mixing is spotless, the set flowing with the grace of someone who’s spent decades perfecting their craft. Read More here.
Köhn’s 1998 LP Köhn 1 gets first ever vinyl release
21 years on this debut is remastered and released for the first time on vinyl. The debut album from Köhn. Edition of 300 copies, 2 LP, includes new insert with great liner notes by Brecht Ameel & Jürgen De Blonde (aka Mr Köhn himself) and top notch remastered by Gert Van Hoof & Elvin Vanzeebroeck at Cochlea Mastering.
Recommended if you like early Autechre, Oval, vintage electronics, shoegazing beat, instrumental Death Grips, demented industrial, nostalgia futurica, derailed post rock or excellent music in general. It even helps to cure migraine (for some people).
There is an off-hand, almost unfinished quality to the record that fascinates me every time I press play: someone seems to have arranged a chemistry set with some very personal vials, tubes and ingredients, only to wander away and let it run its course. This person who is ‘Köhn’ seems to have no interest in seeing the tiny blizzards and blue-phosphorescent stars that pop out of his own chemicals. The whole thing is for us to dissect and admire, I feel certain that Köhn is already onto something new. Probably something so much further out it only exists in the ether. – Words by Brecht ‘Razen’ Ameel.
