Study beats road trip with five sheets of high powered blotter acid with: Ol Wallace x Lil Gromit – Our Supply

A road trip, litany of drugs and study beats from Ol Wallace x Lil Gromit.

Hard to know where to begin with this one. It’s a concept, a comic, rolling papers and a tune. It’s a bit Jack Kerouac. It’s a lot Hunter S Thompson. Ol Wallace says “As ya’ll know I love smoking trees and whenever I’m high I’m cooking up some fresh beats.” This does explain an awwwful lot bout this tune.

With partner in crime in tow Ol Wallace comments on the tune Our Supply that “Ol Wallace takes a road trip in search of the American dream to the bright lights of Las Vegas with his lawyer on board and a brief case full of narcotics, they cruise through the bat country picking up Lil Gromit along the way but get caught up in the devil ether…”

And yet the track itself isn’t a messed up pot head nightmare. It’s a skilfully and knowingly constructed piece of laid back study beats with its litany of the drugs brought on the road as its centrepiece.

Around the list comes lonesome sax that adds that late night louche vibe. Beats are slow and drawling. A bar piano picks out a late night tune. This is brilliantly realised. I’m not saying a quart of tequila isn’t going to help. But it’s by no means essential. Whereas this track Our Supply essential for your late night listening pleasures.

https://open.spotify.com/watch-feed/artist-videos?si=9fPGCVqSRBOKNrXje3V28g&firstItemUris=spotify%3Aexpression%3A4tZZNm161f5jWzxpkIBIus

Thursday techno with: Deeb Haidar, and Lawrence Hart x Giulia Tess

To help you get through to Friday a couple of Techno tracks from Deeb Haidar, and Lawrence Hart x Giulia Tess.

Deeb Haidar is from NYC, USA. Here’s new single Empyrean which is full of TR-808 and the TB-303. Bliss. The track title is taken from the ancient concept of sky and heaven thought by the ancients to be the realm of pure fire.

Empyrean is a game of three halves. Deeb says “I really wanted to create something using a simple workflow to hopefully end up with a piece that was greater than the sum of its parts.” This is techno and acid but also filled with celestial wonder and an almost orchestral sense of limitless space.

The three sections are largely variations of each other. The first brims with a lovely light acid sensation. Unashamedly electronic it thrills in the sound of acid but without feeling the need for the beats to be anywhere but far back in the mix.

The second section adds a sense of strings and awe to the proceedings. It’s really a kind of symphonic overture. It bubbles away happily. The final section brings more acid back and allows the track to almost come full circle in its journey.

Fabulous acid techno home listening.

Next, a collaboration between Lawrence Hart and Giulia Tess. Lawrence is a producer/collaborator who has worked with artists including Foals. He is a classically-trained multi-instrumentalist/composer. Giulia is from Italy but is now based in London. She’s worked with people like the venerated Max Cooper.

Their new collaboration is More Data To Survive. This is a techno base mixed with a lovely IDM electronica. The track opens with some punchy techno beats before blending in some driving bass.

This simply provides the underpinning for some spiralling electronica melodies on come top and even some pitch shifted rapid fire vocals that don’t annoy. Whodathunk? It charges along at 100mph but totally in control.

This is just wonderful. A euphoric reminder of the life affirming possibilities of electronic music. Nothing bland here. Challenging and yet utterly joyfully accessible.

Ambient Sunday with: Khôra, and Crossbrotha

Ambient Sunday is taking things a touch experimental today with Khôra, and Crossbrotha.

Khôra (Matthew Ramolo) is from Toronto, Canada. There’s a need to break out the dreaded word “shamanistic” since his work has that other worldly feel. He describes himself as “parade of masks, transducer of vibratory geometries, extempore aural revelations, muted ecstasies, stalker of thresholds, scribe of a body exultant in the sound of its unfolding, iota amidst the vast.” I’m suppressing the need to do an eye roll because his work is so good.

Here’s Pneumatic Magic from new double album Gestures of Perception (available on vinyl via Bandcamp).

Pneumatic Magic, like much of the album is heavily layered with a dense sound. This makes it slightly hard going on first listen. But it also has a way in which the beats, hazy dark strangeness entices you into its tribal magic.

It is Ambient but in the loosest sense of creating an atmosphere. You haven’t come here to enjoy yourself or chill. You’re here to be challenged.

This is both constantly evolving sonically and staying the same. The beats provide an almost reassuring sameness through the track. Around that whirls of distorted sound come and then dissolve. Hardly a dance floor sound but definitely a rewarding immersive experience

Next, Crossbrotha from Switzerland. Taking more of a hip hop starting point this blends abstract sounds with a bit of early Burial spectral vocals.

Eclipse is the new track. It may even be their first. Information is hard to come by. So let’s focus on the sounds.

A delicately mournful piano offers the main lead in the track. It’s surrounded by digital shuffle beats and various vocal elements. The vocals use both pitch and reverb. Normally, this would have me reaching for the off switch. But in this case they’ve been carefully and sensitively handled. They form an integral offset for the piano but also its companion piece.

This is ambient abstract hip hop but with an almost sense of deep house tricks. It’s a really lovely combination of rich soothing sounds as well as something that has an edginess about it that really engages. Deep abstract ambient listening pleasure.

Acid House on Acidted with: Curtis Maranda – Acid House Explorations

One of the occasional joys of doing a blog that’s been around as long as this one is that artists can go years between appearances here. Today is one of those with a lovely analogue piece of acid house in its early form from Curtis Maranda who was last here in 2021. And it’s a real pleasure to have him back.

Curtis Maranda is from Canada. He’s back with a track called Acid House Explorations. Of it he says “Old school 90s Melodic House/Acid vibe. Made with: Roland JD-XI, Korg Volca Bass, Kaoss Pad 3.” He thinks it captures the sound of 1998. I think this is more like 10 years before that. But since he only started making music in 2004 I think I can forgive him.

Acid House Explorations is a lovely and warm track. It captures the essence of early Acid House in its optimistic and positive phase. It’s lots of acid and contrasted with some lovely synth action all given a lovely analogue sheen that adds to the back in the day feel.

And yet, it’s not retro. This track may have its roots in some of the sounds of the past but it’s definitely forward looking. The burbling acid and pastoral sense is firmly striding off into the future. He may not have been there but he does understand. The future’s bright.

Perfecto 30: Paul Oakenfold and Carl Cox – Concentrate

It all seems so long ago the early 90s. When I saw Paul Oakenfold and Carl Cox then did I ever think they’d still be doing their thing thirty years later? Doubt it. And yet here they are with their first ever collaboration, Concentrate.

No point in any potted biog of either Paul or Carl. You surely know both of them, legends. It’s been a long time since I listened to Paul Oakenfold. His descent into cheesy prog lost me long ago. Carl was always a great DJ but his recorded output was a bit of a disappointment. I remember listening to 1995’s At The End Of The Cliché and really wanting to like it but finding it a mild let down.

How has time treated them on Concentrate? They probably had a good time recording it. There’s a lively bounce to the track. It’s more Cox Techno than it is Oakenfold Prog House. It unashamedly wants to be a main room banger. And it is. That’s their natural home.

It opens with some classic techno house piano stabs before the chunky beats come in. It’s all very uplifting peak time music with the track title sample used regularly. They know how to pace a track to give you that perfect bouncy ride. In a club this will work ever so well. Hands will be in the air.

There’s also something reassuringly familiar about the sounds. This doesn’t challenge you or offer you anything new. This takes you back to those halcyon days with a rose tinted perspective. But one from a couple that know what it was really like. Back to the future? Not really possible mate.

Solid track nonetheless.

Winter revival with IDM from: Constant Current – Revival (Remix by NDNL)

OK so I spoke too soon. After a couple, of warm days it’s back to wintery rainy days again. Boo. Time for some IDM then with Constant Current.

Constant Current is an electronic artist from Belarus, currently based in Vilnius, Lithuania. On remix duties is Ukrainian sound-engineer Nikita Bulgakov (NDNL). The track being remixed is Revival which is an electronic listening piece pitched between Ambient and Organic House, with a touch of Folktronica.

The remix is an altogether hazier affair. Everything sounds like it’s on a fuzzy delay. This allows it to drift more than a little into something that’s much more IDM and in places almost experimental. But NDNL draws back at the half way point and shoves it back on the dance floor in a whirligig sort of way.

It’s still a bit spangled but also touches into trance to make itself danceable. There’s a get up and go here absent from the original. A lovely remix.

Ambient Sunday smells of Spring with: YFGP – Daffodils

Ambient Sunday is tentatively celebrating the start of Spring with YFGP and Daffodils.

YFGP (Your Favourite Ghost Producer) is Manu, a Music Producer and SFX Artist from Sibiu, Romania. He appeared here at the back end of last year with some old school hip hop. He’s back with new release Daffodils that offers more head nodding boom bap charm.

Daffodils is part of his short mixtape Flowers. It’s a lovely piece, albeit short. It makes max use of the xylophone. Seriously under-estimated piece of the instrumental hip hop armoury. Stuttering beats arrive and then that reassuring whap of boom bap.

Heavy head nodding established, the track offers a slight glitch and a little jazzy brass to ease you along the way. It’s all very summery in a late at night kind of way. A conscious contradiction.

Smooth as silk and as colourful as daffodils. Your Spring is sprung with YFGP.

Complex but funky IDM from: Kodomo – Trenta Trenta

The return of Kodomo with some complex but funky IDM on Trenta Trenta.

Kodomo is Christopher Child from Brooklyn. He’s been making IDM since 2007, first appearing here in 2011. His work has roots in IDM, minimalism, techno, and various styles of ambient music. But on his new release we’re firmly back in IDM.

As for the inspiration behind Trenta Trenta (thirty thirty) he says “Inspired by the pulsating rhythms and dynamic atmospheres of urban centers, “Trenta Trenta” draws its name from the recording of a street vendor in the bustling metropolis of Mexico City.”

Sonically, the heart of this track are the beats. After the found sound comes a dark bass line. This gets overtaken and overwhelmed by tumbling hefty beats. It’s a thrilling rush of sound and a touch of funk. No standard 4/4 here.

Over the top there are some surprisingly ethereal and melodic synth hooks. It’s all very evocative of an urban landscape but with a gritty futuristic air. The melodies are lovely. But nonetheless it’s the banging bouncing, funky beats that capture the attention.

Delighted that Kodomo has returned to his IDM roots when the results are this good. More please.

Grumpy techno IDM from: GEM_DOS – Curmudgeon

Some grumpy IDM from GEM_DOS which is a case for celebration. It’s been nine years since Irish born but South London based GEM_DOS was last here so I’m treating this post like the return of the prodigal son.

GEM_DOS says of himself “I am a south London based artist who makes electronic tunes with software, hardware and eurorack. I want the machines I use to sound like they have a soul.” He’s back with machines that have a tortured soul on new The Hurt And The Hatred EP.

The opening track is the splendidly titled Curmudgeon. A lovely old word dating back to the mid-1500s but of uncertain origin. It means bad tempered and negative, especially of an older man. That’d be me then. I’ve found my soundtrack.

Musically, Curmudgeon is wheezy machines and bad tempered beats. It’s all very dark IDM but when the synths arrive you know there’s more to it than that. It doesn’t want to be so despondent. There’s a little ray of sunshine wanting to escape in the trapped angel vocals.

Tortured souls this isn’t even though the track doesn’t deliver an optimistic ending. It’s not the writhing figures in Dante’s Inferno or even Rodin’s gates of Hell. This is much more human scale disappointment in and anger with the world as vocals fade and the beats continue to the end. And I think we can all relate to that sometimes. Welcome back GEM_DOS.

Dark chill from: w-berg – Mangroves

Chill doesn’t always have to be uplifting, gentle or even melancholic. As w-berg proves it can have a heart of darkness.

w-berg is Wolfgang Worpenberg from Meppen Germany. He describes his work as “ambient, downbeat and dub” That’s all kinda true but on Mangroves there’s also a proper downtempo darkness at play. This avoids cuddly chill cliches.

Mangroves takes a cinematic stance at the start, allowing strings to generate an eerie unsettling calm. There’s just a hint on menace in the blank thud of the drum.

Proper beats and dubbed keyboards don’t entirely dispel that feeling. There’s a quiet instability at work. It’s the sound of unknown footprints in the swamp. Less a Scooby Doo romp than a properly uncertain scenario.

The track gives its ending over to a lovely dub. But in so doing retains that hint of bass driven blackness. This is the sound of the groves less travelled.