Jonathan Kusuma - Waves Form (BRAV003)
Released 27/01/14 on Bravura

Tracklist:

1. Blob
2. Waves Form
3. Re-alignment
4. Waves Form (Bedouin Traxx Remix)

Bravura are pleased to welcome Ojon 'Jonathan' Kusuma for the label's third release. The versatility showcased on the 'Waves Form' EP perfectly summarises the Indonesian producer's multi-faceted output.

From his retro-futuristic excursions as one half of psychedelic disco duo Space System for Optimo Music, Love International and Pizzico Nobel, to the off-kilter leftfield house deconstructions under Jonathan Kusuma for his own Space.Rec. label, Ojon consistently manages to deliver forward-looking dance music that at times feels as earthy and acoustic as it does electronic.

Opening track 'Blob' sets the tone in classic Kusuma style - clattering percussion and dubby electronics develop around a driving house groove, punctuated by gigantic bursts of analog power. An echoey vocal chop and a discordant Rhodes chord add to the tension, building towards the cowbell-laden finale. Title track 'Waves Form' tells a different story, with layers of lush chords and dusty atmospherics gliding above hypnotic bass sequences and crisp drum programming, as subtle sound design draws us ever deeper into the track's trance-inducing pulse. On 'Re-alignment', Kusuma sets an urgent, bubbling house bass to Kraftwerk-esque synth zaps and drum patterns to create seven minutes of cold, sparse future-funk with an industrial edge.

The package is completed with an expansive deep dancefloor reworking of 'Waves Form' courtesy of newcomers Bedouin Traxx, building upon the original's rich chordscapes with dub techno splashes and marching drum machines.

Contact: thisisbravura@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/Space.Rec

https://www.facebook.com/thisisbravura
https://soundcloud.com/bravuramusic

BRAV 003 Jonathan Kusuma 'Waves Form' EP preview (out 27/01/14)

Bravura's fifth release comes in the form of a three-track EP of fractal house experiments from Mike Mangino aka Slow Bodega.

While his work as Slow Bodega will be new to many, Mangino's involvement with electronic music stretches back to 1979, when, alongside Chris Shepard, he founded cult abstract-industrial outfit Smersh, whose mutant Monday night basement recording sessions provided the material for countless self-released cassettes on their Atlas King label between 1981 and 1993. This DIY approach is something Mangino has retained to the present day, showcasing his more recent forays into techno, electronica and ambient via the elusive CDRs he distributes - personally - via his M-Pop Recordings imprint.

Among these forays are the cerebral house explorations Mangino records as Slow Bodega. On 'Anaconda', he presents a trio of tracks from the Slow Bodega archives; selected with Bravura from a stockpile of music including material previously only available on ultra-limited M-Pop CDRs, unreleased alternative versions and demos.

Crisp drum machines and shimmering cymbals underpin layers of droning synth strings on opener 'Anaconda' (Version), pulsing steadily beneath a thin layer of dust and noise. Carefully placed Rhodes chords and melodies are introduced, cutting through the haze with a subtle urgency. With echoes of classic Burrell Brothers / Nu Groove records, 'Voando Alto' is a more dancefloor-focused affair: metallic FM bass tones set the pace, joined by insistent hats and drum patterns. Electronic strings add to the tension, paving the way for playful digital synth flourishes, before everything strips back to start the process over again. The EP closes with the introspective 'I Think I'm In Love'. Brittle percussion and stark drum programming cut through dense, gushing chords enveloped in reverb, recalling the paper-thin warmth of early Detroit electro. A glassy synth motif adds occasional melodic interest, understated enough to allow the pointillist details in Mangino's hypnotic rhythm sequences to draw the listener ever deeper.

Contact: thisisbravura@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/pages/Smersh/417873358260234
www.soundcloud.com/m-pop-recordings
www.facebook.com/thisisbravura

BRAV 005 - Slow Bodega 'Anaconda' PREVIEW (out 27/10/14)

BRAV 007
Bedouin Traxx ‘Bedouin Traxx’
Released Nov 16th 2015 on Bravura

1. Dune
2. I-94 Express
3. Future
4. 88 Outlines (Bonus*)

After delivering a nomadic journey of a remix for Jonathan Kusuma's "Waves Form" EP in 2014, Bedouin Traxx return to Bravura with their first original material and debut EP. The reclusive pairing, rumoured to be a transatlantic duo of likeminded musical wanderers, bring a distinct sound to the Bravura table, blending industrial-tinged strains of Detroit and Chicago with vintage sci-fi atmospherics and layers of desert dust.  

Opener "Dune" sets the pace early. Grit-laden chords wash over a lo-fi drum machine while sub bass bumps underneath. The percussion builds, urged on by grunts and sighs from what sounds like a Huttian beat boxer, before the boisterous opening makes way for a more reflective second act, with chords chiming in the distance, topped off by soaring strings. 

If "Dune" is a desert journey on some distant planet, then "I-94 Express" has its feet - or more correctly, wheels - firmly on planet Earth. The track hurtles down a post-industrial highway, flanked by beeps, squeaks and bleeps, intermittently stopping at lights before plunging on ever faster. The speed run reaches its conclusion as the percussion winds down, while pulsing angelic drones fill the air.

"Future" sets off on a voyage through time, as twinkling FM drones fill the night sky, an ominous 50s sci-fi voice stoically tells of the future, "not a future that will be, but one might that be". Sputnik sounds orbit benignly while buzz-saws mechanically stab the soundscape, all underpinned by decayed drum artefacts and throbbing bass. 

Topping off the release and exclusively available on Bravura's Bandcamp page (https://thisisbravura.bandcamp.com/) is "88 Outlines", an homage to, and exploration of, early warehouse sounds. Funky organs, vocal cuts and Bomb Squad screeches vie for position before being swamped by an enormous chord arp, which melts, in turn, into a Moroder-esque shimmering chord sequence.

* - Exclusively available at https://thisisbravura.bandcamp.com/

BRAV 007 Bedouin Traxx 'Bedouin Traxx' preview (out 16/11/15)

BRAV 008
Jerry Riggs 'Fringe With Benefits'
Three track digital single out June 13th on Bravura

1. Fringe With Benefits
2. Eastern Block Shock Brigade (with Will Azada)
3. Fringe With Benefits (Bedouin Traxx remix)

Another transatlantic flight for Bravura as Toronto's Jerry Riggs touches down with new three-track single 'Fringe With Benefits'. He's not alone, as none other than Proper Trax boss Will Azada collaborates on the fantastically titled "Eastern Block Shock Brigade", while Bedouin Traxx round things out with a late-80s-Detroit-inspired remix of the title track.

A man of several aliases, Jerry Riggs is the latest techno-slanted project of Dan Tracy (aka Dick Diamonds / Hermans). Whether solo, as half of Hermans or part of the wider Deep North fraternity, Tracy has been blasting out formidable 4x4 jams in an array of styles for a while now, be they deep, acidic or disco. Not a man to rest on his laurels however, Tracy coined the Jerry Riggs alias to explore grittier techno textures and 'Fringe With Benefits' is further evidence of this evolution. As Jerry Riggs, Tracy takes his sound into rougher terrain - still funky and club focused but tough-as-nails to boot.

Tracy's description of his creative process is suitably no-frills: "I put down a kick drum, get some percussion and like a shitty gambler, I just try my luck and roll with the natural flow of things. If it isn't almost done in one sitting, the track is never finished." Thankfully for us,  these gems didn't end up on the cutting room floor, instead they grace Bravura for the label's most pounding release to date.

Opening proceedings is title track "Fringe With Benefits", an expansive, 9-minute swirling march into the void, anchored by triumphant synth stabs and rolling robotic toms. For track 2, Will Azada joins the fray. Jerry explains: "Will started this track and couldn't finish it so he sent me an unfinished tune which I deleted, took the stems and put it back into the production cannon with some of my own spice and shot it into his face. He liked it, and so did you." Oh boy, did we ever. Finally, Bravura fellow travellers Bedouin Traxx transform the title track into an 80s-era Saunderson-esque banger, transporting you all the way back to those halcyon warehouse days.

www.facebook.com/jerryriggs4x4
www.facebook.com/HermansToronto
www.facebook.com/azada.dj
www.propertrax.com

www.facebook.com/thisisbravura
www.thisisbravura.bandcamp.com

Buy at JunoDownload

BRAV 008 Jerry Riggs 'Fringe With Benefits' preview (out 13/06/16)

Low bit rate. Out November 10th at Juno http://www.junodownload.com/products/supermoon/1852628-02/

04 Andrew Yukon - Supermoon (Kid Who Remix) (112kbps)

BRAV 009
Andrew Yukon 'Depth Charges'
Four track digital single out November 25th on Bravura

1. Depth Charges
2. Back On Mars
3. As Above
4. Acid Bath

Label co-founder Andrew Yukon takes the helm for Bravura's ninth release, delivering a colourful and contrast-filled EP in the form of Depth Charges. The four-tracker sees the South London producer develop ideas explored in his last outing for Bravura, Three Ages, drawing on his manifold influences and plotting a course through esoteric Detroit techno and mind-bending acid house.  

The EP's title track opens the set with serene chord samples and sparse drum machine patterns leading the way. Joined by gentle synth arpeggiations and sub details, the track builds effortlessly into a tactile and undulating piece of deep, technoid house. After a momentary reduction trains the focus on the rhythm parts, these elements are re-introduced, this time accompanied by distant, sweeping strings, gently propelling the track skyward.  

From the subaqueous bliss of 'Depth Charges', Yukon transports us to a distant terra firma with the techno stomp of 'Back on Mars'. Hollow, distorted tones roll atop driving drums, interspersed with jangling electronics and noisy digital squawks, like the distant, garbled sonics of an obsolete modem in its death throes. Ghost-like strings emerge from this decaying rhythmic murk, in the end accompanied by delicate synth plucks for the track's bittersweet outro. 

'As Above' sees Yukon further exploring deep celestial planes, creating an exemplary dose of modern house music in the process. Hypnotic bell chimes and glassy atmospherics are balanced by a relentless sub groove and solid house rhythms. Measured progressions ensure that we never go too far down the rabbit-hole and are instead kept under the spell just enough to revel in the gentle tension hidden in the loops.  

Closing this diverse quartet of tracks is the aptly titled 'Acid Bath', a volatile chemical fusion of the tougher end of late 80s acid house with contemporary techno aesthetics. Huge drums and churning 303 sequences are the order of the day as the beat ploughs forward - the arrival of sharply-cropped, sizzling synth chord washes only adding to the momentum.

https://soundcloud.com/andrewyukon

https://www.facebook.com/thisisbravura
https://thisisbravura.bandcamp.com/

BRAV 009 Andrew Yukon 'Depth Charges' preview (out 25/11/16)

BRAV 010
Grey People 'Going Further'
Four track digital single out January 30th 2017 on Bravura

1. Going Further
2. Silver Bullet
3. Surgery Preparation
4. Negative World

Bravura are pleased to see in the new year with Going Further, a storming machine-driven EP from Tennessee techno stalwart, Grey People. 
 
After an impressive array of releases for lauded imprints such as Proper Trax, CGI Records and Finale Sessions, Alex Michalski aka Grey People brings some searing heat across the ocean to Bravura, clearing the winter frost and helping us kick off 2017 in considerable style.
 
Exhibiting impressive range across his back catalogue, here we find Grey People focused on his darker, rougher, more electronic side. Each track presented on Going Further was recorded in one take at his home studio, where the Chicago-born Michalski plies his talent on a range of hardware old and new. Considering the clearly-evident precision on the tracks, both in terms of arrangement and sound, these one-take performances offer a fleeting window into the mind and work of a noteworthy producer.
 
From the rolling clatter of opener “Going Further” through the droning sirens of “Silver Bullet”, to the grand soundscape of “Surgery Preparation” and corroded acidic techno of “Negative World”, Grey People renders an impressive range of moods from a cleverly chosen palette of sounds. The result is as hard-hitting and distinctive as ever, providing Bravura with the opportunity to release one of our punchiest and most club-focussed releases to date.

@grey_people

https://www.facebook.com/thisisbravura/
https://thisisbravura.bandcamp.com/

BRAV 010 Grey People 'Going Further' preview (out 30/01/17)

BRAV 011
Kid Who 'System Exclusive' EP
Three track digital EP out December 11th 2017 on Bravura

1. TX Trek
2. Heatwave
3. Airglow

After a several year hiatus from solo releases (besides a well received outing on Glasgow’s Clan Destine) and a near complete studio overhaul, Louis Jaquet dons the Kid Who moniker and returns to the imprint he co-founded, Bravura, to deliver a three-track EP of early-to-mid 90s digital Detroit-inspired techno, the System Exclusive EP.

Influenced by the FM synths and rough edged style of early 90s Detroit, the South London based producer takes his production out of the box, letting his favourite hardware (as of writing), the Yamaha TX81Z, Roland JV1010 and Akai MPC2000XL, do the talking across three dancefloor targeted tracks.

Opener ’TX Trek’ sounds like it’s supposed to: a 90s techno-funk flavoured, bumping ride that showcases the Yamaha TX81Z with a swinging bass groove, silk-smooth strings and crispy, light-touch 808 percussion.

Next up, ‘Heatwave’ shimmers and oscillates through a haze of detuned drones and liquid pads before closer ‘Airglow’ ups the pace and takes to the sky, floating over wispy chords and turbulent bass flourishes.

Mastered by Ed at Curved.

@kidwho

www.facebook.com/thisisbravura/
www.thisisbravura.bandcamp.com/

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