Ten years ago, Acid Test began with a simple concept—each track the label released would make use of the Roland TB-303. Like a producer purposefully paring down their studio setup, or the continuous imperative within underground electronic music to reduce, this concept engendered creativity with the introduction of what seemed to be an aesthetic limit. However, the decade that followed, which now culminates in the triple-LP compilation Ten Years Of Acid Test, proves acid is limitless.

That the Berlin-via-LA label would expand upon the classical conception of acid house and techno is no surprise considering the cast of characters that have come in fold over the past decade. Ten Years Of Acid Test gathers key material from the label's extended family of acid acolytes. There's that Vienna-via-LA maestro of sad, elegant acid Tin Man (Johannes Auvinen), whose "Afters Acid" is both a highlight within his prolific catalogue and a distillation of his symphonic approach to the 303. Detroit giants Erika and Marcellus Pittman, both of whom have released remixes on Acid Test, present their respective and singular Bass Line visions. Erika, the Interdimensional Transmissions lynchpin, crafts a dark, delicate take on broken techno on "Violet Fungus" while Pittman continues his cubist house explorations on "Unknown Species," both tracks straying from typical acid lines in favor of the intricate textures achievable on the 303.

This variation in approach applies to tempo as well. Irish-based master Lerosa, as well as Delsin affiliate VC-118A, delve into downtempo atmospherics. Meanwhile, Japanese deep techno virtuoso Wata Igarashi, SUED co-founder SW. (a regular on Acid Test's leftfield sub-label Avenue 66) and Patricia (one-half of Acid Test act Ociya) use acid as a creative jumping-off point for complex melodic concepts. Wata layers an orchestra of synth-bliss drone overtop a squelchy bassline on "Ephemeral." SW.'s "ChaIAnJAzzz" cycles through an array of dusted chords eventually landing in skewed, fuzzy rave nostalgia, anthemic chords held aloft by a wicked UK-flavour bass line. Patricia's “Higher Still” explores dreamy, IDM-flavoured acid, cinematic synthlines counterbalanced by propulsive, squelching acid.

Acid Test devotees will be thrilled at the return of various luminaries from the catalogue, including Achterbahn D'Amour, Skudge, AAAA, John Tejada and Donato Dozzy, whose memorable remix of Tin Man's "Nonneo" from Acid Test 01 served as a kind of proof of concept for the label. There's new blood too. San Francisco up-and-comer Sepehr makes his label debut with the excellent "Persian Acid Prince," as does Andreas Tilliander's beloved hardware techno project, TM404.

Like the original Hot Mix 5 Acid compilation, which highlighted the original cohort of Chicago acid innovators including Pierre, Fingers and Armando, Ten Years Of Acid Test is a valuable portrait of a group of artists linked by a dedication to innovation within acid, in line with the genre's storied roots. Over ten years, Acid Test has gracefully made a case for the 303's past, present and future, the story of acid continuing to unfurl in unpredictable, addictive patterns.

Published by Copyright Control
© 2021 Acid Test
Mastering by Stefan Betke @ Scape
Manufactured by RAND
Distributed by Word and Sound
Design by Floating Bastard

10 Years Of Acid Test 3LP Preview

https://acidtestrecords.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-afterworld

Om Unit and TM404 have both been researching production and compositional elements in the crosshairs of dub and acid for the last few years - Om Unit most notably with his Acid Dub Studies 1 & 2, and TM404 with his Acidub album in particular.

Om Unit has been a longtime fan of TM404’s use of the TB-303 and the deconstructed space he brings to the house and techno template. Meanwhile Om Unit’s own leaning towards breaks and reggae instrumentation has offered a different approach to the acid sound they both love so much. So an LP with Acid Test seemed the perfect opportunity to combine those approaches and see what kind of mutations could be discovered. The result is a primordial soup that is in parts acid, dub, breaks and ambient, full of spaced-out synths and psychedelic bass, where the pair enjoyed building tracks with a feel for where the music wanted to go, irrespective of stylistic constraints.

Rolling opener Motorway Acid sets the pace high and strong, conjuring both wide open spaces and fast-paced travel at the same time, with weightless pads, stroboscopic breaks and a mighty 303 riff that can teleport you to the middle of a foggy dancefloor. Microdose Mondays on the other hand, slows the tempo down and veers into cosmic territory, with perfectly dubbed drum rolls and burbling squelch. But it’s London Stock that kicks the album into hyperspace, finding its futuristic steppers groove somewhere in the answer to the hypothetical question ‘what if Shaka had produced Stingray?’

Speaking of underwater electronics, Meanwhile In The Smoking Area delves deep into submarine territory, delivering the kind of bass weight and sonar acid signals you’d need a diver’s suit for. It’s a vibe that’s continued on the tracks Thursday and Refracted, and speaks to the record's title - otherworldly, dreamy bass meditations that aren’t of this realm. The album closes out with Praha, a pacey yet ambient vista of warm wide synths, layers of 303, and dub echoes that sound like the machines are slowly coming to life.

It’s in this altered state that the album resides, somewhere between worlds and styles, emerging out of the space around the TB-303 that Om Unit and TM404 have created, with their open-minded approach to the music and to this collaboration. Free the 303!

Om Unit + TM404 - In The Afterworld

When SW. AKA, Stefan Wust, first established SUED in 2011, their compelling, cosmic and anonymous material struck a rare chord, emanating far beyond the freeform Berlin underground in which it was written. Unknowingly, Los Angelean Oliver Bristow had established a parallel musical universe, founding the hyper-specific label Acid Test, inviting pioneering artists such as Donato Dozzy, Tin Man and Pepe Bradock to indulge in glorious interpretations of 303 control. Without compromise, these were records that quietly reinvigorated electronic music.

Some years later, a new label, SWOB, unites Wust and Bristow in a very different landscape. And while it would be easy to transform the purity and integrity of this special alchemy into something like nostalgia, yearning for an alternative culture before influencers and against algorithms, SWOB endeavours to find inspiration in arguably tougher truths.

“By the mid-90s, the techno scene had already reached a breaking point”, recalls Wust. “Today, the scene is so highly professionalized that it barely resembles what was once called the "underground. But "underground" was never more than the simple reality that music circulated on cassettes among friends or that dubplates were played at illegal parties… The consequence of today’s professionalization is the death of the original movement.”

Still, no one can kill an idea. Here, inspired by the “Outside Tekno” or “Outkast Techno” that emerged to subvert even back in the day, SWOB are proud to introduce the tekkNOthing trilogy, a new project from SW. beginning on cassette and culminating later on vinyl. Some years in development, tekkNOthing first began to take shape during the 2020 global pandemic, when ‘the underground’ quickly began to mean something radically different once again.

“I noticed how everything was accelerating while simultaneously spinning in circles – existing in a kind of creative limbo on a global scale”, recalls Wust. “And that’s where true freedom lies: for artists – in any sense – to consciously engage with this necessity. In other words, irrationality or nonsense can eventually generate meaning.”

While hardly capitulating to the contemporary hammering of techno’s most recent developments, tekkNOthing’s first chapter quickly establishes a frenetic pace; tracks like ‘nuclearFALLoutX’ and ‘paslolESmess’ interlock and unfold at a tempo removed from that typically associated with SW. while ‘euroBSS’ and ‘viscousHEAT’ successfully experiment with a more guttural palette, veering far into a rejuvenating and previously uncharted leftfield.

A resolutely human endeavour, the music of SW. is nonetheless written and recorded in the looming shadow of AI, whose free-form adoption of pop culture, hip-hop and techno reminds Wust of “when photography emerged in the 19th century… painting was no longer bound to naturalism. Similarly, music today is no longer bound to fixed standards – through AI, it can become truly free.”

If not in competition, than taking inspiration from this landscape of new opportunity, tekkNOthing diversifies further with eight unpredictable tracks across part II, taking in stuttering machine-funk on ‘crAMPDUNK’, a freeform organ jam via ‘sonicENdo’ and the inexplicable piston-percussive, post-punk exotica heard on ‘poorTENOOR#a#01’ DJs with dual cassette decks skills might even find function in the more overtly floor-focused ‘DU¨NEhowSE#1takeÄ’ or ‘lookLOOK’.

In conclusion, the third chapter of tekkNOthing takes it back to wax, featuring a dub-oriented collection of five tracks that elegantly double back on the creative foundations from which the project emerged. With tempos on the low and analogue effects spilling over valleys of rhythm, the journey concludes with ‘thxJA’, where the sheer weight of dense musical layers unveils another chapter.

The times may have changed, but the promise remains simple; more music, more freedom.

swob.bandcamp.com/

TekkNOthing III

Avenue 66 opens Series 33 with a Düsseldorf–Lyon connection.

Jonquera first encountered Tolouse Low Trax a decade ago in a small Lyon club. That night, his hypnotic slow-motion set was cut short, yet it left a lasting imprint. The Düsseldorf artist’s mechanical psychedelia, and the influence of the Salon collective have been a constant touchstone for Jonquera, even inspiring playful “Düsselcore” edits in his Tera Octe days.  

After several LPs, Jonquera returns to the EP format with Cause & Utility / Tales of Decay. Built from improvised drum, bass, and vocal recordings, the tracks are reworked through heavy looping and acoustic treatment, a method inspired by his recent live shows. Cause & Utility revolves around the abstract idea of two dogs as concepts, enriched by the earthy drone of a hurdy-gurdy. Tales of Decay paints a surreal image of a house losing its rooms like a body shedding parts.  

The MPC sorcerer Tolouse Low Trax, aka Detlef Weinrich, brings his Düsseldorf circuitry and autobahn funk with two tracks of pure rhythm apparition. Amp is a quintessential Tolouse Low Trax cut, built on concealed rhythmic structures, swampy bass lines, and fragments of radio and voice samples. The piece extends his exploration of how art can mirror the flow of inner-city traffic; drifting without a clear climax. Solid Rock echoes this idea, first conceived as a variation on Amp where particles repeat themselves. The result is distinct yet conceptually linked, evoking the density of a crowded neighboring city: beginning in apparent disarray before locking into an abstract, hypnotic funk.

Series 33 begins with the convergence of Jonquera’s looping experiments and Tolouse Low Trax’s mechanical psychedelia, a dialogue between Lyon and Düsseldorf.

Jonquera x Tolouse Low Trax - Series 33 Part One

The man behind Workshop and Out To Lunch famously takes his time to make electronic productions that are, in turn, out of time. Over the course of his career he's released tracks that could have been made yesterday, years ago, or a decade into the future. with Avenue 66 he's found a leftfield home that celebrates pure creativity, that embraces the liminal, the weird and the sublime. Light Surfing fits all of these descriptors.

The double-LP rewards deep, repeated listening. There's plenty to unpack, but those who cherish the murky bangers that have been Lowtec's stock and trade will find plenty to love. "Boy With The Broken Glasses" weaves a subtle, dancehall-inflected riddim into hazy ambient house, while the closer, "Burnt Toast," is the latest example of Kuhn's uncanny ability to perfectly fit a soulful vocal sample into an alien dance floor soundscape. 

Unexpected moments of sideways beauty also unfurl across the four sides. The two-part "Light Surfing" is one of Lowtec's most evocative suites to a date—its mournful string soundtrack is the album's recurring, longing motif. Elsewhere, as on "Mynthenquai," Kuhn applies avant-garde strategies to his synth leads, taking us on head-spinning melodic journeys. 

Light Surfing is a masterful balancing act between dream states and machine-like efficiency, the experimental and functional, precision and spontanaeity. Lowtec could have only gotten here by taking his time.

A1 Hotel D Europe
A2 Boy With The Broken Glasses
B1 Light Surfing (Part A)
B2 Light Surfing (Part B)
B3 Vintage Internet
C1 Mythenquai
C2 Interna
D1 Burnt Toast


Distributed by Word and Sound

Lowtec - Light Surfing 2LP (snips)

F1 - Skudge - Bite

B2 - TM404 - Rysa

B1 - Erika - Violet Fungus

A3 - VC - 118A - Silver

A2 - Tin Man - Afters Acid

A1 - Lerosa - Uneasy

After appearing on Acid Test’s 10 Year Anniversary compilation Patricia, aka Max Ravitz, debuts an EP on the label with Less Than 7, a collection of tracks that sits squarely in the club-focused end of the label’s output. Ravitz grew up in Chicago and has family roots in Detroit; these cities cultivated his affinity for mid-western dance music, with early Trax Records being a standout favorite. Years later, while living in New York, collaborator Alexis Georgopoulos introduced Ravitz to Tin Man’s Neo Neo Acid LP (released on Acid Test in 2012). This album struck a particular chord, impacting his creative vision for the Patricia project and setting him on the path towards a fruitful collaboration with Tin Man as Ociya (also released on Acid Test). 

After 2021's IDM-leaning Blue Ridge LP, the Less Than 7 EP marks Patricia's return to the dance floor. Here, Ravitz explores four dimensions of acid music, each track deploying that classic squelch to differing effect. Both tracks on the A side pack a gut punch. The almost industrial beat on ‘At A. Gallop’ stomps along under moody pads and dripping acid lines until, midway, new harmonies reveal fresh vistas. ‘Head Gap Width’ is the EP’s most direct statement, a bolt of dubby techno energy with gurgling acid bass and rhythmic Detroit stabs. The B side then shifts things to a more emotive plane. ‘Winding To The Side’ uses its 9 minutes to fully explore the harmonic interplay between its buoyant braindance acid lines, which are engineered to suspend the late morning dance floor in time. ‘Coffee Computer’ closes things out, with its detuned pads, walking acid bassline and child-like piano lending it a wistful air that falls between house and IDM. 

Less Than 7 was recorded at Ravitz’s home studio in Asheville, NC, and mastered by close friend Josh Bonati.

https://patriciaaa.bandcamp.com/album/less-than-7

A2 Head Gap Width

A1 At A. Gallop

Johannes Auvinen (Tin Man) and Max Ravitz (Patricia), two devotees in the cult of the TB-303, return to Acid Test with the Celestial Body Music series, a follow up to their 2020 LP Powers Of Ten.

Recorded in Ravitz’s studio in Asheville, NC, Celestial Body Music once again showcases the pair’s penchant for raw yet emotive dance music. With Auvinen’s signature TB-303 programming and Ravitz’s typical melancholic flair, the duo’s styles merge seamlessly over the course of 8 tracks that harken back to the heyday of American techno and house. Following on from Powers of Ten, the pair continue to fix their eyes firmly on the stars, as Celestial Body Music’s song titles conjure visions of listening to Dance Mania 12”s on the ISS. With a tonal palette that features the well-trodden sounds of classic analog hardware like the TR-808, TR-909, TB-303, and SH-101, Ociya demonstrate their ability to breathe new life into these old instruments through thoughtful programming, arrangement, and mixing. This is made all the more significant when considering every song was recorded live to 2-track with no editing over the course of a few days. Sweet and savory both, the new material strikes a perfect balance between emotive sensibility and dance floor appeal.

Preorder - https://acidtestrecords.bandcamp.com/album/celestial-body-music

Ociya 1 Helium Flash

Acid Test 09 marks the first true collaboration from Tin Man and Donato Dozzy. After spending studio time together in Rome the two have completed a beautifully deep EP of music. Tin Man's emotional acid lines become shooting stars in Dozzy's hypnotic atmosphere.  Limited hand painted sleeves. Mastered by Rashad at Dubplates & Mastering.

B2 - Donato Dozzy & Tin Man - Test 3

A1 - Donato Dozzy & Tin Man - Test 7

Donato Dozzy - In Bed from Acid Test v.3 (ASD017)

Donato Dozzy - In Bed - clip

B4. Praha

B2. Thursday

B1. Meanwhile    In The Smoking Area

A3 London Stock

A2 Microdose Mondays

A1. Motorway Acid

https://tinmanofficial.bandcamp.com/album/hidden-acid

Vienna-based producer and 303 maestro Tin Man returns to Acid Test for his first solo EP for label in over 5 years. It's another impeccable outing of romantic acid variations, especially tailored for unforgettable dancefloor revelations.

Tin Man has been setting the pace for forward-looking acid lovers for close to two decades now, and on his 15th Acid Test appearance he takes the vibe back to early and proto-house roots, stripping back the musical elements while layering in the euphoria with four perfectly crafted slices of feelgood 303.

Opening track Hidden Acid already sounds like a long lost classic, with strings draped over bouncy acid and motorik drums, stretching out over nearly nine minutes, and beautifully capturing the feel of house music circa 1991. Swaying Acid comes in all propulsive, toms and congas setting the foundation for melodic acid lines to weave through your heart strings.

On the B Side, Running Acid is fully optimized for the autobahn fast lane - a gradual, slow-filtered acid meltdown that builds and releases in tandem with driving hats and vaporous pads that hang over the track like early morning mists. Wrapped Up Acid brings the EP to a fitting close, slowing the tempo for a low-key easy dance excursion par excellence - smooth yet spikey 303 riffs punctuate the chords that drift through with a hint of Badalamenti in the progression.

With the Hidden Acid EP Tin Man might hark back to more vintage times, but the emotive power is as strong as ever. The naivety of the ‘90s is instead replaced with a conviction behind the musical choices that brings even more weight to the heartwarming vibes. This is acid in some of the best shape it's ever been, enhanced and upgraded specifically for the dance.

B2. Wrapped Up Acid

B1. Running Acid

A2. Swaying Acid

A1. Hidden Acid

Out January 12th 2015 

Achterbahn D'Amour's machinefunk opus, "Odd Movements." gets reworked with 4 sonically diverse remixes. Detroit don Marcellus Pittman kicks things off with a massive, unsettling flip of "Holy Roman Empire." The Italian producer Chevel is up next with a virtuosic take on the LP's title track. His cubist, artfully restrained version ends with over a minute of icy techno snap. Convextion, as well, chooses to hold back for maximum impact, infusing the moody "Passagen" with subdued electro bounce. Finally, SW. imbuesthe duo's "Konigstr" with dubbed-out breakbeat pressure, occasionally allowing the original acid line to seep through a skittering rave rhythm.

Achterbahn D' Amour - Passagen - Convextion Clip

Trickfinger – s/t (2LP)
Release date: April 6th
Cat # ATLP05

Purchase here:
2LP http://bit.ly/1zhyPlD
CD http://bit.ly/18z6crw
iTunes - http://apple.co/1Firnqt

The latest chapter in the electronic evolution of guitarist John Frusciante features a new project under his Trickfinger guise and has him utilizing the classic hardware that spawned the eternal acid template. Frusciante's desire to cede control to machines has paradoxically allowed him to present a singular take on elemental dance music, a brilliant and unexpected entry into Acid Test's growing canon of modern, 303-focused dance music.


Trickfinger - After Below

Acid Worlds Part One marks the beginning of Tin Man’s new series exploring the dimensions of collaborative acid. The EP features contributions from Susi Saisa (w/ Jussi-Pekka), John Tejada & Tin Man, Romans (w/ Gunnar Haslam), and Rolling Ones.

https://tinmanofficial.bandcamp.com/album/acid-worlds-part-one


A1. Susi Saisa - I Feel Love (preview)

B2. Rolling Ones - Black Porshe (preview)

B1. Romans - Aleria (preview)

A2. John Tejada, Tin Man  - Acid Stroll (preview)

Achterbahn D' Amour - Acid Test v.5 (ASD019)

B1 Achterbahn D' Amour -Trance me up - Skudge remix (clip)

Recondite - On Acid (Acid Test LP01) - out March 5th

C2 Recondite - Sultry (Snip)

B1 Recondite - Felicity (Snip)

A2 Recondite - Tie In (Snip)

Live acid improv set from John Tejada recorded at the Moog House Of Electronicus event January 2018.

John Tejada-House of Electronicus 1-17-18

John Tejada - Live Acid Improv @ House Of Electronicus

D1 Burnt Toast

C1 Mythenquai

B3 Vintage Internet

A1 Hotel D Europe

DOVS aka Tin Man & AAAA – Acid Test 014 

Release date 26.04.19

On their debut album as DOVS, Tin Man and AAAA summon the ethereal spirit of acid. Tin Man, AKA Johannes Auvinen, has been studying the emotional potential of the Roland TB-303 for 15 years now, and AAAA (Gabo Barranco), a fixture of the Mexico City underground, might as well be his acolyte. While the coincidental similarities of their studio and live approaches make this collaboration feel natural, even expected, Silent Cities is anything but.

Acid Test 14 features remixes from select trackboth Tin Man & AAAA individually as well as label mate John Tejada. 

A1 – Nostalgic  Oblivion – John Tejada remix
A2 – Distand Buildups – AAAA remix
A1 – Whining Acid – Tin Man Sweet Harmony mix)
A2 – Whining Acid – Tin Man’s Weepy mix)

MST A1 - Nostalgic Oblivion - John Tejada Remix

Acid Test featuring artists: Tin Man, Donato Dozzy, John Frusciante, Recondite, Pepe Bradock, Achterbahn D'Amour aka Iron Curtis & Jool....

Avenue 66 featuring artists: Joey Anderson, Lowtec, Trux, Relaxer, SW. Trickfinger

Acid Test

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