Drum and bass metal on Mars

Tekkno EP

BassTi M & Morbus Tinitus - Tekkno (Fuli Remix)

#BSKD - Psycho

The 20th release from Nina Kraviz’s seminal трип imprint is an homage to some of the most uncompromising manifestations of electronic music imaginable. Tracing sub-cultures from the 90s to the present day, трип 20 interrogates the boundaries of tempo and form via hardcore, gabber, acid techno and ambient. A mix of unreleased material and essential gems, the ten-track compilation visits трип regulars, esoteric masters and relative newcomers on a voyage to the extremities of a global underground. 

трип 20 continues the tradition of gatefold double EPs as a conceptual album. All of the tracks are selected around a particular story, a trip, and presented as a continuous sonic landscape. All of the tracks are structured in a way that they can be mixed one with another an endless amount of times making a continuous loop, a trip, that needs only end when the party stops. Kraviz works without release dates or deadlines, enabling her to achieve a certain sound bank to shape the story, unmasking the thoughts and unravelling like a dream. 

A1. Biogen – Hexagraphic 

An essential track from one of Iceland’s true underground pioneers, ‘Hexagraphic’ uses frenzied percussion to map out angular geometric oddities. Rhythmic patterns drift in and out whilst an arppeggiated low end and abstract melody interact with each other at high speed. 

A2. PTU – Castor and Pollux 

Animated malfunctions and freeform effects take the lead on this marching workout from Russian duo PTU, first heard on their Boiler Room in Moscow last year and now ready to be unleashed. 

A3. DEKA – Pearl (Nikita Zabelin edit) 

Equal parts gabber and acid, Moscow based Nikita Zabelin’s edit of DEKA’s ‘Pearl’ takes no prisoners with a booming kick and relentless analogue lead. 

B1. Exos – Grasshunter 

Opening up the B side, prolific Icelandic producer Exos administers a dose of uncanny, groove driven 90s techno on this unapologetically minimal, strangely addictive roller. 

B2. Bjarki – 3-1 tap lush 

A distinctive highlight track from Nina’s sets over the past few months - mistuned bells and distressed vocals flurry around cold stabs on a disorienting journey from Icelandic shapeshifter Bjarki. 

C1. Marc Acardipane a.k.a. Pilldriver – Pitch Hiker 

Stripped back, unrelenting hardcore from a 90s legend using raw elements and cavernous acoustics to devastating effect. Marc Acardipane aka Pilldriver aka Mover epitomises the sound of a movement. 

C2. Shadowax – I want to be a stewardess 

Looping vocals welcome you on board for this unfurling trip of multiple guises. What starts as a bare-bone techno sketch evolves into a fucked up mass of breaks, jungle and hardcore from Shadowax, also known as Russian producer and live act Ishome. 

D1. Universal Indicator – 15 c7 

As a sub project from the legendary Rephlex Records, Universal Indicator (aka Aphex Twin) released a series of mostly untitled acid techno with nothing but associated colours from the UI spectrum as reference points. On this merciless cut, reactive chemicals are placed inside a pressure cooker. 

D2. Roma Zuckerman – Zero 

Трип mainstay Roma Zuckerman takes an unexpected turn on this blissful ambient wandering. Cinematic soundscapes contrast natural beauty with computerised glitches, held together by warm, dubbed out synths. Nestled amongst a compilation full of force, ‘Zero’ takes us on a different kind of trip. 

D3. Nina Kraviz - Opa 

Closing off the compilation, Nina delivers an obscure beast of cross-rhythmic machine funk. Shifting rapidly in and out of tempo, ‘Opa’ won’t wait for you to catch up.

Don't You Mess With Cupid, 'Cause Cupid Ain't Stupid.

Pre-order

Biogen - Hexagraphic

Alina Izolenta and Kamil Ea, the duo more formally known as PTU, present their debut album Am I Who I Am on трип.

The origins of PTU can be traced back to the early 00s, which found the duo spending their formative years experimenting with analog synths and sharing music onto each other’s hard drives. The physicality of this approach went on to have an immeasurable effect on their aesthetic, which bears an unmistakable live feel - rich with improvisation and surprises. 

A relatively sparse discography might mislead you from the fact that they have over a decade of experience delving into the strangest depths of analog hardware and jamming on obscure synths. A brief 2016 appearance on the трип concept album When I was 14 was followed by the emergence of ‘A Broken Clock Is Right Twice A Day’ - a stand out track on Nina Kraviz’ fabric 91 mix - which went on to become the title track for their highly acclaimed 2017 debut EP. Now, the duo present their singular, uncategorisable take on electronic music across a full length album.

Assimilating references to techno and IDM, but placing them in far less familiar structures, PTU’s productions breathe life into precise rhythmic patterns with equal doses of energy, experimentation and humour. Their music (just about) files under techno, but their approach to composition rejects genre boundaries of any kind, opting instead for a free-form exploration of the weird and wonderful.

Across twelve tracks, they cut and chop their way through frenetic marching drums and spiralling acid leads, awakening an army of malfunctioning robots as they go. Whilst Am I Who I Am boasts a vast spectrum of bizarre ideas - often introduced at high velocity - each one is executed with a skillful dose of restraint, summoning energy from microscopically detailed arrangements. From the angular maximalism of ‘Castor & Pollux’ to the eerie polyrhythms of ‘After Cities’ and the relentless hammer drills of ‘Sirocco’, PTU find life in the most extraordinary of places.

Following on from a series of stand-out appearances on трип, Am I Who I Am is a thrilling voyage into techno’s strangest sector.

03 Castor And Pollux (clip)

Rawkorder hails from Rennes, France and is the latest new artist signing for Sonic Groove.

His debut single on the label titled “Hounds” is a skillfully woven,  crisply produced four song EP of modern day Rhythmic Noise , Industrial, EBM and Techno. 

Rawkorder shows that speed isn't obligatory to make things rough and tough. With the BPMs not exceeding 126

sonicgroove.bandcamp.com/album/hounds

Rawkorder_Sonic Assault(Clip)

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Tessela - Hackney Parrot (Alex Schultz Edit)

Our next guest is @dima-kachan, from Minsk, Belarus. Dima is a great artist and our truly inspiration, who represent Minsks underground scene.

I had recorded this podcast over 8 months ago, but decided to give it to the guys just today.
And that's why — The sound and mood here is generally unusual for me: rather intimate, sad and thoughtful. In short, this is purely a spring 2020 vibe and tracks that I'm unlikely to ever play at a party.

BSM036 Dima Kachan

Scary Beautiful consisted of five DJ sets in which Nastia played pre-selected unreleased tracks by electronic music producers from all over the world that are now being released as a compilation of five LPs via Nastia’s record label ‘NECHTO’. For some artists, this has been the first shot of making their work heard. 
   For the second instalment of Scary Beautiful, Nastia visited Chernobyl - specifically the Chernobyl-2 facility, where the Soviet over-the-horizon radar station 'Duga' is located. The destructive explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant happened nearby at the city of Pripyat, Ukraine. The second release of the Scary Beautiful series contains a mesmeric, yet haunting sound that fits the now abandoned area and includes tracks by music producers from Ukraine, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Argentina, Slovakia, Germany, and the United Kingdom.