IM095 - Infinite Machine 10 Years Compilation
Label: Infinite Machine
Release Date: December 3rd, 2021
Format: Digital

Celebrating 10 years of solidly cerebral club music releases, Infinite Machine is celebrating its first decade with an 19 -track compilation full of heat from label mainstays, new signees and some of the friends who helped them along the way. Infinite Machine was born out of a desire to run an dance imprint with the same DIY ethos as the hardcore/screamo labels that xWOLFx, IM's owner, was previously involved with. Over its decade-long lifespan, the label has rapidly evolved into a central figure within the hybrid dance music scene that’s formed on the internet; a place where dembow drum patterns can easily sit next to Sinogrime samples and dubstep sensibilities. In the last few years, as the label and it’s artists have matured, Infinite Machine’s output has taken a slightly cyberpunk turn, moving away from pure dance-floor slammers and towards more conceptual works which deal with our ultra-accelerated culture or soundtrack imagined off-planet worlds.

Some highlights from the release include Galtier’s ‘My Mess is a Face’, a real head-spinner full of granular synthesis and warped sample work. Later on in the comp, Bungalovv delivers a sensory delight with ‘Alacran’, a track so dense with layers of sound design it feels like you can sink your teeth into it. All Centre signee Duswunder pops up mid-way through the release with the frenetic and furious ‘Black Bile’ which is absolutely not a track to be missed. IDM upstart Daniel Ruane’s contribution ‘ZZZZZ’ is hypnotic perfection - one of those compositions that really has to be heard to be believed. Towards the end of the release, long-time Infinite Machine signee Yilan appears with ‘Cortisol’, another slow mind-bender of a track full of siren-like synths and rolling stutters of percussion. And rounding out proceedings is W3C’s ‘Templar’, a great example of the sort of forward-thinking music Infinite Machine loves to release. It’s a track rooted in club culture but, at the same time, transposed away from that context to some other-worldly space.

In an era of dance music consumption where genre trends or in-vogue labels can rapidly switch from flavour of the month to faint memories, this 10-year milestone is a testament to the independent label's unwavering enthusiasm for unearthing fresh talent and pushing our releases at a relentless pace, much like the hardcore labels xWOLFx previously ran. Three cheers for another decade of jaw dropping releases and Infinite Machine's commitment to the church of DIY.

Artwork by Benfika

Renslink - Sister Above

Durban’s Dominowe returns to @gqomu with a  new eight-track EP. Hear ‘Rah’ now

More info: https://djmag.com/music/premiere-dominowe-rah-core-gqom

UMTHAKATHI

Premiere: Dominowe ‘Rah (Core Gqom)’

Reforged. Reimagined. Elements tamed and wielded. Distilled frequencies sent back through to the world. Re-focused and reconstructed. A transmutation of will, etched to disc. The long journey’s end. A signal sent between worlds and back again, a vision realized and now, delivered.

Original EP: llxtracks.bandcamp.com/album/recall-ep

released January 31, 2022

Original music by LLX
Remixes by DivPro, Klahrk, Sobolik, DJ Suzmo and Nixtrove
Mastered by SIM
Album cover by Bruno Lauzon Tanzi
Character illustration by Sora Park

Recall Remixes

Nice One (DivPro Remix)

LLX - Nice One (DivPro Remix)

Taken from SBKT049: Osheyack - Intimate Publics
Release date: 8th June 2022

Intimate Publics, Osheyack’s second album, is an homage to Shanghai, the city he has called home since 2012. Over the past ten years the producer has evolved from an avid club-goer to a key member of the vital soundscape that emerged from ALL Club and its predecessor, the now defunct club The Shelter. As hinted by the title, which draws on American social theorist Michael Warner’s work on publics and counterpublics, the album expresses a commitment to mining the utopian potential of club music, forging new worlds and generating future social relations, just as the artist bids farewell to the city at a moment of uncertain transition. While tracks like 'Edging' and 'Thrall' continue to present his signature collage of harder club music, the rest of the record reveals a shift to synthetic approximations of acoustic instruments. 'Still', the central track of the album, is a piece composed almost entirely of samples found on Vocaloid (a vocal synthesizer developed by Yamaha, commonly used to give voice to Japanese virtual idols). While echoing themes explored in previous projects, like the nature of realism and authenticity in a techno-mediated landscape, Intimate Publics is charged with an unexpected emotional candor and vulnerability, unveiling a personal side Osheyack is only beginning to explore.

Words by Alvin Li
Artwork by Xiaofei Qiu
Design by Luke Griffiths
Mastered by Raphael Valensi

Intimate Publics

Osheyack - Thrall

@design-default - Quartz Silica EP
Format: Digital
Release: December 2nd, 2022
Artwork by Benfika

Marking the 100th record of the imprint’s prolific history, Infinite Machine are proud to present the release of Quartz Silica EP by new-comer Design Default. A self-described ‘tone scientist’, the Parisian delivers a 5-track of uniquely textural compositions which map out a sonic world influenced by dystopian anime titles like Trigun & Neon Genesis Evangelion. Like many on the IM discography, Quartz Silica acts almost like a simulation or audio-film representation of an abstract space you’re invited to traverse.

The EP opens with ‘Between Wasteland and Sky’; percussive assault on your senses which clearly exemplifies Design Default’s meticulous approach to sound design. Every detail, every sample and every automation is carefully considered to add to the heightened affective theatrics heard here.

‘A.S.K’ follows things up on this release, a highly inventive composition with a loose structure that evolves from phrase-to-phrase, refusing to sit still. Design Default’s interest in jazz and free-form arrangements is married up with an angular sonic palette of industrial groans and splutters; generating the impression of hearing a glitch (or hiccup, even) in the machine. There’s something refreshingly playful about the maximalistic breakdown of ‘A.S.K’ akin to the wry smile found in some of AYA and her YCO label’s output.

After two highly frenetic tracks, Design Default turns the tempo down slightly with the groove-laden ‘S.E.E.D.S’. Layers of rich, fuzzy synapses phase in and out of prominence over a bed of complex drum programming. The producer deploys negative space here to great effect, with the absence of a drum hit or sample where you might expect one adding to the hypnotic rhythmic swing of ‘S.E.E.D.S’.

Rounding out the originals of Quartz Silica EP, ‘SILEX’ is a club-ready construction with a paint-shaking bassline which seems to slip downwards in pitch as if it can’t get steady footing. Again, Design Default’s tone science/alchemy shines through clearly here, with stutters of melodies, bursts of white noise and stacked drum patterns managing to sit cohesively in this dynamic expanse.

Fellow Parisian De Grandi jumps on remix duties for ‘S.E.E.D.S’ to finish off the EP. The Paradoxe Club signee adds further syncopation and strips the original’s elements down to its fundamental core. The results are a spectral creeper of a tune - built almost intentionally with dark, low ceiling environments in mind.

Design Default - SILEX

Tzusing X The Chemical Brothers X Phelimuncasi X Afrika Bambaataa - ABADIR Hey Balkanize Mashup

In my mind (Bad Thoughts II) - Instrumental

AYA - I Will Not Come At Your Beck And Call I Am At Home Preemptively Mashing Up The Dance That Is Where I Am
>>
https://soundcloud.com/aya_yco

Where to start with AYA… Another genuine GENIUS and the one true patron saint of all things FUN and unpretentious. Totally self-sufficient in her methods, ethos and aesthetic, AYA builds these amazing narratives in her tracks, taking you on this mad journey of self discovery and eventually (if you’re also a music producer) self-loathing and a strong aftertaste of “Wait, WHAT!? How the hell did they make this?!? Oh god it sounds amazing I bet it took her 5 minutes”. Well in actual fact you’re probably right, it did take her 5 minutes but RELAX buddy that’s just 5 minutes in Earth time... And we all know she’s operating on some Jupiter level shit right now. If the planets could talk Earth would simply whisper the words “Check out AYA’s Boiler Room, its LIT”

AYA - I Will Not Come At Your Beck And Call I Am At Home Preemptively Mashing Up The Dance...

Esther shows her love for wild and disturbing breakbeats on 'Hedon Hack'. Forthcoming on Polaar.

More: https://ins-rt.net/audio/esther-hedon-hack

Article

Premiere: ESTHER - Hedon Hack

https://soundcloud.com/avernianofc

Joining the NHS team is Manchester’s own Avernian, whose presence amongst many other contemporary electronic music producers has shone brightly through a slew of releases on Daniel Haaksman’s Man Recordings, Scuffed Records, Row & Circular Jaw; a refined synergy of worldly instrumentation and modern mechanical sounds characterized by oblique rhythm structures defines his works. His foray into the NHS realm comes in the form of ‘Ripper’ – a battle-ready EP that encompasses the stages of conflict through rolling drum work and thunderous atmospheres.

We are called into battle with the title track ‘Ripper’ whose namesake suggests a sense of tearing and viciousness. Commencing with the ominous gong that swims through the emptiness at the beginning of the piece, we are immediately crushed by the monstrous kick drum sequence that dominates the mix of delicate distortion on the hats and mid frequency African percussion guiding it forward.

Following on is ‘Tornado’ taking a much more-fuller, bolder approach to the quality of the soundscape. Still carrying the same focus on rhythm primarily, Tornado chugs along as the 4x4 kick pattern carries the polyrhythmic force into the eye of the storm. Double time tabla keep the furious pace spinning around the outside of the intricate structure of this anarchic clash personified.

Taking the relentlessness of Tornado, Glacial Industries affiliate ELLLL expels the track into the nothingness of space with an exercise in low-end mastery. A distinct lack of high-end sounds, complex, rumbling sub bass hooks and its hammering rhythm help create the haunting mood on her reinterpretation of Tornado, an ideal soundtrack to the aftermath of the devastating storm.

Our last stand is not one that we take on alone; Avernian is joined by Cressida on ‘Canary’. Breathy risers maximise the forcefulness of the rhythmic madness on Canary. Rough, distorted smashes and crashes, much like that of the metal of swords and shields engaged in conflict, maintain the constant energy of the ensuing struggle. A powerful conclusion to the EP, though the war carries on. 

Artwork by Benfika
Mastering by Doug Shearer

Ripper - EP

Buy EP

Avernian - Tornado

'Nos' drops 16/10/20

Produced & Mixed by @lithetrax
Remixed by Fault Tolerance & Doubt

Artwork by Mistareez
Mastered by Doug Shearer

Lithe - Nos

Run by @doubt_tx & @tensiontrax

Bookings / Demos >>> flood.trax@gmail.com

Lithe - Nos

Flood

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