It started, as it so often does, with two old friends hanging out. 

John Shima and C P Smith were joking around one evening in their home city of Sheffield. At some point, Smith challenged Shima that, if the latter could produce a record using nothing more than a small modular synth setup, then Smith would release it on his Central Processing Unit label. As heads will know, while Shima has drops on imprints like FireScope and Subwax Excursions to his name, he had never previously released anything via CPU. Shima accepted, and thus we now have his CPU debut, the four-track EP CPU Modular 1.

The specific setup that Shima worked with for these tracks was Smith’s Doepfer A-100P6 Suitcase, a small but mighty combination of modules and programmers. It’s no surprise that Shima was able to familiarise himself with the equipment in double-quick time - after all, Shima was an early adopter of the Eurorack modular format back in the day. What emerged from the CPU Modular 1 sessions was a quartet of devastatingly effective DJ tools, mid-set rollers which will get the dance moving something crazy.

Opener ‘003’ kicks the EP off as it means to go on. There’s something at once stiff-necked and buoyant about the rhythms here, all thwacking Roland tones and snares which crack like someone whipping a length of sheet metal. While the beat barrels unyieldingly onwards, the programming in the tuned modulars is more exploratory and even trippy, full of delay-laced bleeps and flighty rhythmic motifs. It comes together for a cracking mix in the vein of artists like Jerome Hill and London Modular Alliance. Second A-side cut ‘010’ is no different, the street-beat groove and grumbling low-ends underpinning all manner of modular wizardry.

CPU Modular 1 is really timeless stuff, a set of percussion-heavy, future-focussed beats which recalls Smith’s own CPU drop ‘DJ Tools Vol.1 - 808 Tracks’. ‘011’ kicks of CPU Modular 1’s second-half with a dose of Drexciyan dystopia, playing an atonal loop off of an insistent bass wiggle and neurotic hi-hats. Even when Shima tightens or slackens the modulars here, ‘011’ remains unyielding, a dose of pure ‘Wip3out’ energy that you could happily groove to all day long. The EP closes out with ‘005’, a gnarled, gurgling production which still retains the dancefloor punch of the rest of the record.

For his Central Processing Unit debut, John Shima was tasked to produce four tracks using a single small modular setup. Unsurprisingly given the pedigree of this seasoned machine-funk pro, Shima aced the assignment.

RIYL: Jerome Hill, London Modular Alliance, Matt Whitehead

CPU Modular 1

John Shima - CPU Modular 1

Local legend Chris Cashmere stops by for a mix - Enjoy an hour of expertly mixed techno and tech house records from one of our city’s finest. Thanks Chris!

U//D Mix: Cash

Rinse France Podcast

DJ Lifegoals - 04 Octobre 2022

EOS AIR. A Cooperation with between @eosradio and Museum für Angewandte Kunst Frankfurt. August 2022

Neewt + Babydawg - EOS AIR - August 2022

Met this lovely human in Bern at Kapitel Bollwerk. He delivered a masterclass in club music with a wide range of releases from different times and flawlessly mixed genres together. Meet @kongdj - a true selector with his focus always on every aspect of making nightlife a happier place.

KONG DJ (BXL) - PTTP Radio S. 2 Ep. 30

March's @noodsradio show w/ @corporealface presenting an hour of tunes from his label @ritualpoison

The Rye Wax Show On Noods w/ Ritual Poison

Time for the 35th episode of Podcats and we are more than happy to have Malmö-based DJ & producer Bolam onboard to bring us some of his sounds. Jack Hardie AKA ‘Bolam’ is a relatively new name to the ears of Malmö, but has been gaining recognition locally and back in his homeland of Scotland in the UK with his own sound that is both easy to identify and tough to ignore. Since 2020 he has had multiple widely renowned releases on labels such as MELD, Haws, Space Dust and Holding Hands to name a few that are diverse yet contextual to his broad style. His club DJ sets are focused on keeping the listeners on their toes and in a groove evolving through different styles, moods and tastes with a great ability to read the crowd and control the energy. Typically shifting through minimal, tech, trance, tribal, breaks, techno and electro sounds, but not strictly contained within these boundaries. Besides putting out his own music, Bolam is also running and curating the platform Earworm, where he releases mixes from friends and artist around the globe aswell as arranging own events.  

This Podcats-mix is a very good representation of what he is as a club DJ, including some favorite selections within house/techno, trance, electro and breaks. Keep your eyes peeled and expect much more exciting things to come from him in the future.  Tracklist & links below! Enjoy.

Follow Bolam & Earworm:
https://soundcloud.com/whambolam
https://www.instagram.com/_bolam/
https://www.facebook.com/bolambeats
https://soundcloud.com/earworm_sound
https://www.instagram.com/earworm_sound/

Tracklist:
Remotif - Komorebi
Jamez - People Will Believe (Quivver’s Big Bounce Mix)
Pletnev - Average Monday
Honesty & Daniel Paul - Atrium (Konstantin Sibold Remix)
Seb Wildblood - vitara 3000 (Central Remix)
H.O.S.H. - Super Sick Bowl
Daze Maxim - Strange Things
Ambien Baby - Engendrx
Parks & Wilson - The Dragon (Enter The Dub Mix)
Ashtrax - Helsinki
Lisene - *Unreleased*
Hex Editor - Say Right Now
Somoah - Immanent Destruction
Leisureplex - LARP
Tata Box Inhibitors - Freet (Jamie Anderson Remix)
Starecase - The Other Side Of The Line

Podcats #35 - Bolam (UK)

PARAISOMIX011 - Sauvage 'Pascal Rhythm Mix'

Thumping kicks and ethereal stabs on this AWOL track, for Jaunt's 10th anniversary.

@awol-music
@jauntmusic

EXCLUSIVE: AWOL - 54 973379, -1 614705 [Jaunt]

MADHAB01
Greville • Fiddles & Twicks

@grevillegreville

MADHAB01 • Greville • Fiddles & Twicks (Snippets)

Here we have the recoding of Mr. No Moon playing at our Berlin autumn edition at ://about blank. Lush electro and sleazy breaks skillfully thrown in the mix by the man from Manchester. The energy was high and the vibe was gentle – a Sunday night which those who have been there wont forget too easily.

Follow
https://soundcloud.com/nomoontrax

NO MOON

Warning #24 No Moon

Alleycat Anthem is a creative crew/label based in Malmö, Sweden connected through common vibrations and a collective love for everything from instrumental hiphop to house & techno. 
___________________________________
https://soundcloud.com/moose-dawa
https://soundcloud.com/fakesven2
https://soundcloud.com/sleepytoothparker
https://soundcloud.com/sumorai
https://soundcloud.com/max_science
https://soundcloud.com/whitekinoko
https://soundcloud.com/user-898981043
https://soundcloud.com/josefinehellstrom

Podcats #35 - Bolam (UK)

Alleycat Anthem

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