Buzzin Electronic Music

Umek ‘Responding to Dynamic’

Umek ‘Responding to Dynamic’ (1605 Music Therapy)

The face and ambassador of the Slovenian techno scene Umek unleashes ‘Responding to Dynamic’ a new album release on his label just ahead of his intense summer tour schedule.  The sound as to be expected from him is intense, hard, driving, complicated and very good.

He seems to have developed a slightly more exaggerated sense of space between the beats, so that an element of bouncy funk is superimposed amongst the driving beeps and sound effects.  ‘Pedestrian’ contains moments such as these and also manages to climax midway through the track into a massive cacophony of sound.  The title track of the LP ‘Responding to Dynamic’ is full of the rapid fire beats and looped synths that work to hypnotise and help get you locked into the groove.

The album shows a bit more restraint to some of his earlier releases and I think is all the more enjoyable.  Umek’s DJing tends to suck you into a vortex of sound throw you around and smash you into the sides a bit then spit you out, exhausted, bruised but exhilarated no less.  This new album does that but it is as though he has cushioned the vortex with bubble wrap.  The sound is remains relentless but is also is a lot more forgiving aural experience.

For more information visit www.myspace.com/djumek

Red Bull Music Roller Disco

Red Bull Music Academy presents Moodymann and the Horse Meat (Roller) Disco at The Renaissance Rooms, London on Thursday 4th March, 2010.

What do you get when you mix the awesome organisation power of the Red Bull Music Academy, with the stalwarts of the London disco scene Horse Meat Disco and one of the greatest House producers from Detroit, a certain Moodymann at The Renaissance Rooms roller skating rink?  You get one of the most fun filled nights I have been to in a very long time.

During a time when current dance music making tends towards the computer generated and can appear colder for it; it makes a nice return to the roots of dance music where the human hand and soul warms up the 4/4 beat.  Moodymann’s passion for keeping the soul in dance music is apparent not only in his own funk based house production but also in his regular Soul Skate nights in his hometown Detroit.  Bringing the same ethos and a team of professional roller skaters to London was an absolute coup for Red Bull and a fantastic experience for us.

He warmed us up at the start of his set with some old school Hip Hop including some brilliant tracks from De La Soul and the Jungle Brothers.  He moved to rare grooves, old classics and funk with Man Parrish ‘Hip Hop Bee Bop Don’t Stop,’ Chaz Jankel ‘Glad to Know You’ and Roy Ayres also made an appearance.  Moody spliced up his soul soundtrack by throwing a bit of Prince, Frankie Knuckles and some new tracks as well.  The music provided by the Horse Meat crew was definitely of the disco variety they have so successfully brought back to the dance floor.  The second room gave the Red Bull DJ’s a chance to play some more recent beats to a throng of revellers hell bent on not falling over.

The event was absolutely amazing.  I haven’t smiled as much whilst exercising ever.  I finally got the chance to see one of my hero’s DJing and to do it at such a unique party means the memory of the night will stay with me for a long, long time.

Balance Series 016: Agoria

In two separate hour long mixes for the Balance Series, Agoria (French Techno Producer Sebastien Devaud) blends atmospheric, oblique at times electronica that sends you on such a journey you can’t help but wonder at the end of it just where it is you have gone and come back to.

The first CD is full of haunting melodies that start off quiet then climax to a lushness you’d expect to find in movie soundtracks.  Guitar riffs jostle for space amongst house beats superimposed with opera vocals.

Driving bass lines are filled out and rounded by stripped out vocals that gets smashed straight into an old school disco sound straight from the it’s New York hey days.  Agoria’s blending of so many different genres typifies the moniker of the compilation series- Balance.

The second CD moves us out of the 9 am post party warm fug created by the first CD and sends us back onto the dance floor with a more recognizable Techno sound.  It seems Agoria’s talent is to include the persistent 4/4 beat whilst manipulating off kilter tracks and layering them.

He cleverly plays tracks then later re-introduces key parts of them further into the mix.  The musical journey becomes full of moments of recognition that requires a certain level of attentive listening.  The pay off for this listening is your head exploding with the madness and brilliantness of his composition.

He hasn’t been indulgent of only big name artists for the mixes but cuts and splices the well known such as LCD Soundsystem, Tosca, Mark Broom and his own production with 12 new artist’s unreleased tracks, including Kid A, The Same and Arandel.

I think this gives freshness to both CD’s and shows not only an incredible talent but also a desire to forge his own path and create a very unique sound.   I would love to see him DJ, I can’t imagine how overwhelming his set would be.  He’s playing at Fabric the 13th of this month.  I highly recommend going there.

For more information visit www.myspace.com/agoriagoria

If you want to hear a creepy crawly piece of minimalism that throws down the gauntlet via a steady slow banging beat then get the new Animaltek release on the Berlin label Elektrotribe Recordings.

The first track ‘Press to Begin’ has 5 am shuffle all about it.  It sneaks in with looped sounds of dripping water before introducing the main drive of the track- multiple synthesised sound effects and a dirty driving bass line.  It’s the layers of the hooks and sound effects that turn what initially appears to be a simply constructed track into a sure fire summer smash for all the Minimal freaks out there.

The title track ‘Disko Kats’ continues to deliver the same clear and precise manipulation of effects and production tools.  The sound is all the more darker and sinister though and I can’t help but wonder what type of disco these cats go to?

By two minutes in, we are assaulted by a groovy bass hell bent on keeping us bouncing along to the track.  This is bang up to the minute Tech-House.

The other two tracks ‘Float’ and ‘Ganjah’ follow a similar aesthetic and ‘Ganjah’ includes a vocal sample moving it slightly more towards the Progressive House/ Tech- House spectrum of things.

The Jalebee Cartel mix of ‘Ganjah’ propels the track into a fairly definitive House camp with softer more rounded bass and greater attention to the vocal sample.

For more information visit www.myspace.com/animaltek

secretsundaze and Electric Minds join forces for a special Easter Thursday Party

secretsundaze and Electric Minds join forces for a special Easter Thursday Party with Morgan Geist, Nina Kraviz, Ilija Rudman & Ray Mang.

Room 1: secretsundaze w / Morgan Geist (Metro Area), Nina Kraviz (Rekids / Undeground Quality), Giles Smith and James Priestley

Room 2: Electric Minds w/ Ilija Rudman (Red Music), Ray Mang (DFA), Dolan Bergin

Secretsundaze are proud to announce details of our Easter Thursday party taking place in a hot new underground venue in the heart of Dalston.

This venue is fresh, only being utilised once before for an event. Taking place across 2 perfectly formed rooms working alongside our friends at Electric Minds this promises to the perfect way to start the Easter weekend.

In the secretsundaze room we have none other than Metro Area’s Morgan Geist. Morgan has already left a long lasting legacy to House, Disco and Techno with his groundbreaking work as Metro Area alongside Darshan Jesrani on his own Environ label.

A highly regarded DJ and remixer too, he has lent his touch to the likes of Hugh Maselka, Franz Ferdinand and Junior Boys and compiled and mixed a CD for the respected Fabric series.

Next, making her secretsundaze and indeed UK debut we are also very happy to have the female touch with Nina Kraviz joining us. Nina has made a big impact of late with her unique sound on Underground Quality and Rekids and on a recent trip to Moscow Giles was so impressed with her DJing skills and had to invite her to play in London. Her sound is a healthy dose of old school House mixed with newer styles. Do not miss this chance to check her out.

Of course secretsundaze all stars Giles and James will be present in the house.

Hosting the second room is London based label, Electric Minds. They welcome regular artist Ilija Rudman who has provided a constant stream of dance music under different guises.

In addition to releasing for Electric Minds you can find Ilija’s tracks being picked up by the likes of Under The Shade, Wolf Music, 2020 Vision and of course his own label Red Music.

In support is Ray Mang. Another talented musician and producer his productions have appeared on DFA as well as 2020 Vision who recently commissioned his excellent remix of 2020 Sound System’s “Ocean” which is due for release later this year.

Raj is also a stellar DJ and will no doubt be pulling out a few surprises from his huge record collection. Last up Electric Minds founder and resident Dolan Bergin steps up after recent gigs in Berlin and New York.

All in all this looks like one of the must go to parties of the Easter weekend with an amazing line up, the meeting of two of East London’s brightest stars secretsundaze and Elecric Minds and a brand new exciting venue. See you on the dancefloor.

Thursday 1st April (Easter Thursday)
9pm to 6am
Secret Dalston Location TBS

Early bird and advance tickets £8 – £12 (Resident Advisor and Phonica)
£15 on the door
For more information visit

www.secretsundaze.net
www.myspace.com/secretsundaze
www.electricminds.co.uk