Central Processing Unit

Bochum Welt’s 2019 LP ‘Seafire’ and its accompanying remix album are two of the Central Processing Unit label’s most beloved releases. However, links between the two parties run far deeper than just those records.

You see, the tracks that Gianluigi Di Costanzo cut as Bochum Welt in the 1990s and 2000s are in the very DNA of the celebrated Sheffield imprint. Bochum Welt’s drops on labels like Rephlex made for some of the most celebrated electronic music releases of the era and went on to influence producers the world over - including many of those who have turned up on CPU since it launched in 2012.

As such, it makes sense that two of the most crucial EPs from Bochum Welt’s first wave are now being given new life by CPU. ‘Desktop Robotics’ and ‘Feelings On A Screen’ initially emerged in 1997 via Aphex Twin’s Rephlex imprint. Now, Di Costanzo has curated this special CPU release to celebrate both of those EPs making it to 25. This is a reissue with a twist, though. While ‘Desktop Robotics / Feelings On A Screen’ features many crucial cuts from the original pressings, the record also serves up other gems gathered from Bochum Welt’s original master tapes - all of which have never previously been released on vinyl.

The ‘Desktop Robotics’ cuts which make for the record’s first half are dreamy, impressionistic things. On this quartet, Bochum Welt plays painterly synth work off of idiosyncratic drum programming to illuminating effect. The opening title-track, for instance, blooms from a clattering, distorted beat into an icily beguiling electronic soundscape, a vibe which carries through to following number ‘HMT (202 Mix)’.

Things become more weightless on ‘Leafs Brought By The Wind’, a potent vignette where you can almost see the leaves falling amidst its reverb-drenched haze. We then get ethereal ‘Marylebone (Demo Version)’. Anyone who’s heard the iteration of ‘Marylebone’ which appeared on Bochum Welt’s 2017 LP ‘April’ will be pleasantly surprised by this alternate mix. Here the track pulls away from pretty post-minimalist piano composition to widescreen ambience - it’s so warm and intimate that it feels like peeking behind a curtain to observe an artist at work.

Things ramp up a notch with the tracks taken from in and around ‘Feelings On A Screen’. The title cut kicks off the record’s second half in limber fashion, its nimble percussion programming dancing around a pulsing bassline. Like A Tim’s mix of ‘Greenwich’ is still as much of a party-starter as it was on the original ‘Feelings On A Screen’ release, with the Djax-Up-Beats veteran setting buoyant rhythm work against a playful, eccentric lead-line. 

Between these tunes we are treated to one of the gems of the Bochum Welt discography. In 2007, Di Costanzo split an EP with Heinrich Mueller, an artist best known as Drexciya’s Gerald Donald. That record featured Mueller’s ‘Z Version’ of Bochum Welt’s ‘Saint’, and the track’s appearance here, with machine gun bass burbling alongside strange textures, joins the dots between Di Constanzo’s style and the pulsating machine-funk that Donald helped popularise. Things close out with ‘North’, a frostily beautiful ambience which makes for a fitting bookend to this album when taken alongside ‘Desktop Robotics’.

This 25th anniversary re-release of Bochum Welt’s ‘Desktop Robotics’ and ‘Feelings On A Screen’ EPs reminds us that, while time may have passed, the appeal of Bochum Welt’s electronic music remains as strong as ever.

RIYL: AFX, Mike Paradinas, Boards Of Canada, Mrs Jynx

Bochum Welt - Desktop Robotics & Feelings On A Screen (25th Anniversary Edition)

TL Premiere #985 (2022.07.15) : dynArec - Classification Of Elements [Central Processing Unit]

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For this 183th Premiere of 2022, we have a track by from the French Electro/Techno producer and live performer & founder of Vaporwave "dynArec" titled ‘Classification Of Elements’ from his forthoming EP "Force In The Sum" on the independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 2012, specialising in electronic music : Central Processing Unit (CPU Records).

The EP will be available on August 5, 2022 in Limited Edition 12" Vinyl EP + Digital.

▶︎ Pre-order : https://shop.cpurecords.net/album/force-in-the-sum

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Release Info :

dynArec - Force In The Sum [Central Processing Unit]

Seasoned heads may already be aware of DynArec. The project of one Chris Kalera, DynArec has been a force in the electro underground for more than two decades at this point, releasing numerous records and helming the Vaporwave label to boot. He has marked himself out as a purveyor of top-quality machine-funk during his career, a producer who runs with the spirit of Detroit to craft club traxx of wicked intensity.

After a period of relative quiet in the late 2010s, Kalera has roared back into action recently, with a run of releases emerging in 2021 and 2022 across labels including Cultivated Electronics, Superluminal and Umwelt’s New Flesh. Now the Vaporwave Records founder takes his Central Processing Unit bow with the Force In The Sum EP, and his hard-hitting electro style is immediately at home on the Sheffield imprint.

Force In The Sum commences with ‘A Dispatching Role’, a track where eerie vocal snippets and delay-drenched anti-melodies cluster around a volatile low-end wobble and crisp 808 snap. It’s equal-parts ominous and invigorating, kind of like the Thom Yorke of ‘Kid A’ times if he’d been granted an audience with Gerald Donald. ‘A Dispatching Role’ is prime slalom music, and the mood carries through to following cut ‘Stabilized’. After a stentorian opening of unerring kick drums and fizzing keys, ‘Stabilized’ soon blooms into a retro-futurist robo-electro joint which comes off like a more textured iteration of Unit Moebius.

Things open up a little more on first B-side ‘Canonical Form’ - at least, they do before the track’s pretty opening flushes are interrupted by a vicious blurting bassline reminiscent of, say, Jensen Interceptor. There are no broken beats here, the track’s unyielding four-on-the-floor thud pushing the joint a little more towards techno mode than the A-side jams. This straight beat remains on Force In The Sum closer ‘Classification Of Elements’, with sputtering hi-hats playing off the groovy pings of the synths to devilishly danceable effect. Slip-sliding saw sounds and spine-tingling, almost ‘X-Files’-esque lead lines enter to up the ante, but the mood shifts after DynArec starts to lace lush chordal stabs and delay-drenched modular runs through the track. All the while, a voice repeats the mantra “what matters is the sound” - and who could deny the truth in this statement?

DynArec’s prolific recent run continues with the four track Central Processing Unit debut Force In The Sum. Tense, expansive and worldbuilding, this is wickedly danceable electro done right. Truly, what matters is the sound.

Tracklist :
1. A Dispatching Role
2. Stabilized
3. Canonical Form
4. Classification Of Elements

All tracks written and produced by Chris Kalera.
Mastered at Computer Club Sheffield
Design by Human / www.humanstudio.com

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Follow dynArec :
Discogs : www.discogs.com/artist/115826-Dynarec
Facebook : www.facebook.com/dynArec
Instagram : www.instagram.com/dynarec_speakwave
SoundCloud : www.soundcloud.com/dynarec

Follow Central Processing Unit :
Facebook : www.facebook.com/cpurecords
Instagram : www.instagram.com/cpurecords
SoundCloud : www.soundcloud.com/cpurecords
Twitter : www.twitter.com/CPURECORDS
Website : www.cpurecords.net
YouTube : www.youtube.com/user/cpuoutput

Pre-order

TL PREMIERE : dynArec - Classification Of Elements [Central Processing Unit]

TL Premiere #1007 (2022.09.02) : Blackploid - Neurotransmitter [Central Processing Unit]

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For this 205th Premiere of 2022, we have a track by the veteran German Electro DJ, producer & composer Martin Matiske, aka "Blackploid", titled ‘Neurotransmitter’ from his forthcoming EP "Planetary Science" on the independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 2012, specialising in electronic music : Central Processing Unit (CPU Records).

The EP will be available on September 16, 2022 in Limited Edition 12" Vinyl EP + Digital. 

▶︎ Pre-order : https://shop.cpurecords.net/album/planetary-science

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Release Info :

The Blackploid resurgence of recent years continues to gather steam. After laying dormant for some time, Martin Matiske’s project roared back into life in 2021 with a pair of EPs for Central Processing Unit. It doesn’t look like he’ll be taking his foot off the gas any time soon - not only does the new Blackploid collection Planetary Science complete Matiske’s hat-trick for the Sheffield label, but it also serves as a prelude to the full-length album which Blackploid will deliver on CPU in 2023.

If that LP is as good as the tracks we get here, then it’s safe to say that we’re on to a winner. This EP contains a quartet of top-tier machine-funk productions, the kind of crisp post-Drexciya joints we’ve come to know and love Blackploid for. Each track on Planetary Science makes good on the record’s title by delivering club tackle flecked with FX which sound distinctly like spaceships blasting off into the cosmos.

There is also progression across Planetary Science. While it still aims for the dancefloor, Planetary Science is a somewhat more textured listen than either Strange Stars or Cosmic Traveler, Blackploid’s previous CPU drops. Most notable is the increased use of synth pads, with Matiske draping chord progressions over all of these tracks in order to give his music a newfound depth.

Blackploid’s subtle evolution is clear from the opening track. ‘Dimension Unknown’ may begin with a precision-engineered groove reminiscent of an early Legowelt joint, but things soon soften with the introduction of some rich keyboard chords. A few well-chosen bleeps and bloops flit in and out of the mix, but whereas some would use these to scuff up the track further here they are warm and playful.

(...)

Planetary Science closes out with ‘Neurotransmitter’. On this cut, Blackploid returns somewhat to where we started off, finding a midpoint between ‘Dimension Unknown’s more spacious feel and the livewire flavour of ‘Magnetron’ and ‘Wire’. Tension remains, particularly when Matiske serves up one of the EP’s snakiest basslines, but there’s also a deftness to the synth pads here which makes ‘Neurotransmitter’ a little softer around the edges.

Blackploid limbers up for a forthcoming full-length on Central Processing Unit with Planetary Science, an EP of stargazing electro joints that quietly expand the project’s sonic world.

Tracklist :
01. Dimension Unknown
02. Magnetron
03. Wire
04. Neurotransmitter

Preview here : soundcloud.com/cpurecords/blackploid-planetary-science

All tracks written and produced by Martin Matiske.
Mastered at Computer Club Sheffield
Design by Human / www.humanstudio.com

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Follow Blackploid :
Discogs : www.discogs.com/artist/520721-Blackploid
Facebook : www.facebook.com/Blackploid

Follow Central Processing Unit :
Facebook : www.facebook.com/cpurecords
Instagram : www.instagram.com/cpurecords
SoundCloud : www.soundcloud.com/cpurecords
Twitter : www.twitter.com/CPURECORDS
Website : www.cpurecords.net
YouTube : www.youtube.com/user/cpuoutput

Planetary Science

Neurotransmitter

TL PREMIERE : Blackploid - Neurotransmitter [Central Processing Unit]

All tracks written and produced by Martin Matiske.
℗ 2022 CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT

BUY on BANDCAMP

PREMIERE : Blackploid - Magnetron

TL Premiere #1100 (2022.11.18) : Splitradix - West Coast Way [Central Processing Unit]

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For this 298th Premiere of 2022, we have a track by Dublin's Splitradix titled ‘West Coast Way’ from his forthcoming EP "Synthesizing Your Future" on the independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 2012, specialising in electronic music : Central Processing Unit (CPU Records).

The EP will be available on December 2, 2022 in Limited Edition 12" Vinyl EP + Digital. 

▶︎ Pre-order : https://centralprocessingunit.bandcamp.com/album/synthesizing-your-future

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Release Info :

Splitradix - Synthesizing Your Future

Splitradix FFT is a fast Irish transform (FFT) rhythm for computing the discrete musical acid (aux note relative), and was first described in an initially little-appreciated paper by R. Yavne (1978) and subsequently rediscovered simultaneously by Central Processing Unit label owners in 2021. (The name "Splitradix" was coined by one of these re-inventors, S. Hennelly.) In particular, Splitradix is a variant of the Electro-Vocoder FFT rhythm that uses a blend of analogue 2 and 4: it recursively expresses an emotion of length N in terms of one smaller aux of musical N/2 and two smaller DFT of Fenix PCM/70.

RIYL: Drexciya, Mrs Jynx, DMX Krew, Ceephax Acid Crew

Tracklist :
1. New Ireland Digital
2. Time Travelling Kodama
3. West Coast Way
4. West Coast Way (Shawn Rudiman Brew Mix)

Previews: soundcloud.com/cpurecords/splitradix-synthesizing-your-future

releases December 2, 2022

All tracks written and produced by Stephen Hennelly.
0100 remixed by Shawn Rudiman.
Mastered by Ed Upton
Design by Human / www.humanstudio.com

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Follow Splitradix :
Discogs : www.discogs.com/artist/1558464-Splitradix
Bandcamp : www.splitradix.bandcamp.com
Facebook : www.facebook.com/splitradix
Instagram : www.instagram.com/splitradix
Linktree : www.linktr.ee/splitradix
SoundCloud : www.soundcloud.com/splitradix

Follow Central Processing Unit :
Facebook : www.facebook.com/cpurecords
Instagram : www.instagram.com/cpurecords
SoundCloud : www.soundcloud.com/cpurecords
Twitter : www.twitter.com/CPURECORDS
Website : www.cpurecords.net
YouTube : www.youtube.com/user/cpuoutput

Synthesizing Your Future

West Coast Way

TL PREMIERE : Splitradix - West Coast Way [Central Processing Unit]

Annie Hall returns to Sheffield’s Central Processing Unit label with an EP entitled Memories That Never Happened. This record represents the producer’s third time on CPU after 2016’s Tenured Positions and 2020’s Fum, and it is also the latest release in a busy couple of years for Annie Hall which have also seen her drop EPs on 20:20 Vision, Orson Records and Random Island. The momentum Annie Hall has built up in recent times carries through to a dynamic collection of productions which bring enough heft in the beats to keep the dancefloor happy while also including all manner of details in the production.

Memories That Never Happened begins with the title-track, a twitchy yet wistful cut which perfectly matches its name. There’s bite to the broken-beat electro pulse, growling bass and robotic declamations of “it’s Annie”, but the makeup of the track is simultaneously rather rose-tinted, particularly when some chemtrails of a synth lead enter later on. The overall effect is as thoughtful as it is stimulating, akin to the halcyon productions of Daniel Avery.

If ‘Memories That Never Happened’ is somewhat plaintive, following jam ‘Problematic Tape Recorder’ has the bit between its teeth from the get-go. The beat crashes and snaps, and when played off shimmering stabs of synth it all adds up to a Wip3out rush that nods to both the old Rephlex Records sound as well as contemporary practitioners like Nightwave. Once again the synth lead is used lightly here, more an augmentation to the beat than the centrepiece - another demonstration of Annie Hall’s ability to write with focus even when the overall intent is to move bodies in the club.

The energy of ‘Problematic Tape Recorder’ is spun in an unusual direction on ‘Subsequent Experiments’, the first track of Memories That Never Happened’s B-side. This cut may be the quickest on the record, but this does not mean it shouts the loudest. Indeed, ‘Subsequent Experiments’ may be the most ornate production here, full of shadowy sonics and a deconstructed beat running at D&B speed. A kind of shadowrealm version of Planet Mu’s early drill & bass explorations crossed with UVB-76’s darkside post-Metalheadz excursions, this one is an eerie thrill.

After the busy ‘Subsequent Experiments’, Annie Hall slows down to take the EP’s home straight at mid-tempo. On ‘Unparalleded Comfort’, keyboard stabs slide over a rhythm that’s at once driving enough for the dancefloor and nuanced enough to allow little half-melodies of synth to flit around above. It’s a fitting closer for this EP, almost playing like an amalgamation of the elements which made the rest of Memories That Never Happened so appealing.

Annie Hall returns to Central Processing Unit with Memories That Never Happened, an EP of masterful productions which will delight both clubbers and home-listeners.

RIYL: µ-Ziq, Pessimist, Nightwave, Mark, Drexciya

Memories That Never Happened

Annie Hall - Memories That Never Happened

TL Premiere #1153 (2023.02.03) : Blackploid - Silent Room [Central Processing Unit]

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For this 18th Premiere of 2023, we have a track by the veteran German Electro DJ, producer & composer Martin Matiske, aka "Blackploid" (@martin-matiske), titled ‘Silent Room’ from his forthcoming LP "Enter Universe" on the independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 2012, specialising in electronic music : Central Processing Unit (@cpurecords).

The album will be available on February 17, 2023 in Limited edition 2x12" vinyl LP + Digital. 

▶︎ Pre-order : https://shop.cpurecords.net/album/enter-universe

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Release Info :

Blackploid - Enter Universe 

Blackploid has become one of Central Processing Unit’s stalwarts in the past couple of years. Martin Matiske’s project contributed a trio of EPs to the Sheffield label across 2021 and 2022, with each of them showing off the kind of electro chops and production sensibilities that made Blackploid an ideal fit for an imprint which also boasts the likes of Cygnus, Silicon Scally and Bochum Welt among its catalogue.

Now, for CPU’s first release of 2023, Matiske levels things up with the debut Blackploid LP Enter Universe. Across these twelve tracks, Matiske leaves us in no doubt that he’s a prime mover in the world of modern electronic music. Enter Universe does not let up from start to finish, delivering a dozen pieces of leftfield electro that draws from the sound’s greats while also showcasing an unpredictability and flair that is all of Blackploid’s own.

The tone is set from the first frosty chords of opening cut ‘Pulsation’. The track traverses the starscape on pitter-patter drums and chirruping synths, a lively and slightly dystopian roller with an adventurous undercurrent reminiscent of classic Rephlex drops. It’s a style which Blackploid often draws for throughout the rest of Enter Universe, albeit with elements added or subtracted at each stage.

Indeed, this album features some of the most unusual production you will hear on any record this year. While the grooves pulse away in a manner reminiscent of Drexciya or Legowelt, Blackploid layers the mixes with a whole cornucopia of synth tones. ‘The Mission’ boasts a bleep-bloop breakdown that sounds like malfunctioning rotary telephones; ‘Silent Room’ is a ghoulish jam which harks back to Warp’s legendary Artificial Intelligence compilations; ‘Automatik’ and ‘Wormhole’ are defined by some brilliantly strange low-ends - you’ll be thinking of Mr. Oizo’s ‘Flat Beat’ with the wiggly former, while the gurgling, writhing anti-lead that dictates ‘Wormhole’ is oddly thrilling and more than befits the track’s title.

This inventive approach is also apparent in some of the structural choices on Enter Universe. While the tracks here all keep a steady, dancefloor friendly pulse, several of them surprise you by switching up the approach after a minute or two. ‘Pulsation’, ‘Automatik’ and ‘The Mission’ all feature moments where a new element - extra hi-hats, a synth line entering from leftfield - inject fresh impetus into the tune to keep the listener on their toes.

Blackploid may push the sonic envelope on Enter Universe, but this does not mean there is no room for melody. In particular, the cuts here which most strongly channel ‘Computer World’-era Kraftwerk do so by fronting some slyly tuneful work, particularly in the low end of the mix. ‘Unidentified’ serves up delightfully springy chords, ‘Cell Mutation’ leads from the bassline, and ‘Space Curve’ features little cells of melody and counter-melody working together to close Enter Universe out on a high.

Blackploid’s debut LP Enter Universe marries Drexciyan electro and Warp-school electronica with some brilliantly inventive production choices.

Tracklist :
01. Pulsation
02. Material Collapse
03. Planetary Nebula
04. Automatik
05. The Mission
06. Wormhole
07. Silent Room
08. IQ
09. Unidentified
10. Cell Mutation
11. Vacuum Movement
12. Space Curve

Enter Universe

Silent Room

TL PREMIERE : Blackploid - Silent Room [Central Processing Unit]

Blackploid has become one of Central Processing Unit’s stalwarts in the past couple of years. Martin Matiske’s project contributed a trio of EPs to the Sheffield label across 2021 and 2022, with each of them showing off the kind of electro chops and production sensibilities that made Blackploid an ideal fit for an imprint which also boasts the likes of Cygnus, Silicon Scally and Bochum Welt among its catalogue.
Now, for CPU’s first release of 2023, Matiske levels things up with the debut Blackploid LP Enter Universe. Across these twelve tracks, Matiske leaves us in no doubt that he’s a prime mover in the world of modern electronic music. Enter Universe does not let up from start to finish, delivering a dozen pieces of leftfield electro that draws from the sound’s greats while also showcasing an unpredictability and flair that is all of Blackploid’s own.
The tone is set from the first frosty chords of opening cut ‘Pulsation’. The track traverses the starscape on pitter-patter drums and chirruping synths, a lively and slightly dystopian roller with an adventurous undercurrent reminiscent of classic Rephlex drops. It’s a style which Blackploid often draws for throughout the rest of Enter Universe, albeit with elements added or subtracted at each stage.
Indeed, this album features some of the most unusual production you will hear on any record this year. While the grooves pulse away in a manner reminiscent of Drexciya or Legowelt, Blackploid layers the mixes with a whole cornucopia of synth tones. ‘The Mission’ boasts a bleep-bloop breakdown that sounds like malfunctioning rotary telephones; ‘Silent Room’ is a ghoulish jam which harks back to Warp’s legendary Artificial Intelligence compilations; ‘Automatik’ and ‘Wormhole’ are defined by some brilliantly strange low-ends - you’ll be thinking of Mr. Oizo’s ‘Flat Beat’ with the wiggly former, while the gurgling, writhing anti-lead that dictates ‘Wormhole’ is oddly thrilling and more than befits the track’s title.
This inventive approach is also apparent in some of the structural choices on Enter Universe. While the tracks here all keep a steady, dancefloor friendly pulse, several of them surprise you by switching up the approach after a minute or two. ‘Pulsation’, ‘Automatik’ and ‘The Mission’ all feature moments where a new element - extra hi-hats, a synth line entering from leftfield - inject fresh impetus into the tune to keep the listener on their toes.
Blackploid may push the sonic envelope on Enter Universe, but this does not mean there is no room for melody. In particular, the cuts here which most strongly channel ‘Computer World’-era Kraftwerk do so by fronting some slyly tuneful work, particularly in the low end of the mix. ‘Unidentified’ serves up delightfully springy chords, ‘Cell Mutation’ leads from the bassline, and ‘Space Curve’ features little cells of melody and counter-melody working together to close Enter Universe out on a high.
Blackploid’s debut LP Enter Universe marries Drexciyan electro and Warp-school electronica with some brilliantly inventive production choices.

PREMIERE : Blackploid - Pulsation

TL Premiere #1193 (2023.03.17) : Annie Hall - Subsequent Experiments [Central Processing Unit]

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For this 58th Premiere of 2023, we have a track by Spanish DJ/Producer Annie Hall (@anniehallmusic) titled ‘Subsequent Experiments’ from her forthcoming EP "Memories That Never Happened" on the independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 2012, specialising in electronic music : Central Processing Unit (@cpurecords).

The EP will be available on April 7, 2023 in Limited Edition 12" Vinyl EP + Digital.

▶︎ Pre-order : https://shop.cpurecords.net/album/memories-that-never-happened

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Release Info :

Annie Hall - Memories That Never Happened

Annie Hall returns to Sheffield’s Central Processing Unit label with an EP entitled Memories That Never Happened. This record represents the producer’s third time on CPU after 2016’s Tenured Positions and 2020’s Fum, and it is also the latest release in a busy couple of years for Annie Hall which have also seen her drop EPs on 20:20 Vision, Orson Records and Random Island. The momentum Annie Hall has built up in recent times carries through to a dynamic collection of productions which bring enough heft in the beats to keep the dancefloor happy while also including all manner of details in the production.

Memories That Never Happened begins with the title-track, a twitchy yet wistful cut which perfectly matches its name. There’s bite to the broken-beat electro pulse, growling bass and robotic declamations of “it’s Annie”, but the makeup of the track is simultaneously rather rose-tinted, particularly when some chemtrails of a synth lead enter later on. The overall effect is as thoughtful as it is stimulating, akin to the halcyon productions of Daniel Avery.

If ‘Memories That Never Happened’ is somewhat plaintive, following jam ‘Problematic Tape Recorder’ has the bit between its teeth from the get-go. The beat crashes and snaps, and when played off shimmering stabs of synth it all adds up to a Wip3out rush that nods to both the old Rephlex Records sound as well as contemporary practitioners like Nightwave. Once again the synth lead is used lightly here, more an augmentation to the beat than the centrepiece - another demonstration of Annie Hall’s ability to write with focus even when the overall intent is to move bodies in the club.

The energy of ‘Problematic Tape Recorder’ is spun in an unusual direction on ‘Subsequent Experiments’, the first track of Memories That Never Happened’s B-side. This cut may be the quickest on the record, but this does not mean it shouts the loudest. Indeed, ‘Subsequent Experiments’ may be the most ornate production here, full of shadowy sonics and a deconstructed beat running at D&B speed. A kind of shadowrealm version of Planet Mu’s early drill & bass explorations crossed with UVB-76’s darkside post-Metalheadz excursions, this one is an eerie thrill.

After the busy ‘Subsequent Experiments’, Annie Hall slows down to take the EP’s home straight at mid-tempo. On ‘Unparalleded Comfort’, keyboard stabs slide over a rhythm that’s at once driving enough for the dancefloor and nuanced enough to allow little half-melodies of synth to flit around above. It’s a fitting closer for this EP, almost playing like an amalgamation of the elements which made the rest of Memories That Never Happened so appealing.

Annie Hall returns to Central Processing Unit with Memories That Never Happened, an EP of masterful productions which will delight both clubbers and home-listeners.

RIYL: µ-Ziq, Pessimist, Nightwave, Mark, Drexciya

Tracklist :
1. Memories That Never Happened
2. Problematic Tape Recorder
3. Subsequent Experiments
4. Unparalleled Comfort

releases April 7, 2023

All tracks written and produced by Annie Hall
Mastered at Computer Club Sheffield
Design by Human / www.humanstudio.com

Subsequent Experiments

TL PREMIERE : Annie Hall - Subsequent Experiments [Central Processing Unit]

TL Premiere #1234 (2023.05.05) : Si Begg - Buckfunk Beatz [Central Processing Unit]

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For this 99th Premiere of 2023, we have a track by Si Begg (@sibegg) titled ‘Buckfunk Beatz’ from his forthcoming EP "Energie Electrique" on the independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 2012, specialising in electronic music : Central Processing Unit (@cpurecords).

The EP will be available on June 2, 2023 in Limited Edition 12" Vinyl EP + Digital.

▶︎ Pre-order : https://shop.cpurecords.net/album/energie-electrique

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Release Info :

Si Begg - Energie Electrique 

It was perhaps only a matter of time before Si Begg rocked up on Central Processing Unit. Now an esteemed veteran of British beat tracks, Begg’s name has become synonymous with quality club productions ever since he burst onto the scene three decades ago. In the years since, Begg has released scores of records on some of the most prestigious labels in the business - Tresor, NovaMute, his own Mosquito. As such, his debut on the Sheffield imprint whose name has become a sign of quality since it launched in 2012 seems like a wholly logical progression for one of electro’s most consistently excellent producers. 

Begg’s casual mastery of his sound is shown off by the fact that he doesn’t over-egg the pudding of the Energie Electrique EP. Rather than doing sonic cartwheels to get people’s attention, Energie Electrique is characterised by the way Begg adds or subtracts elements to sturdy grooves. It’s an approach which makes for a collection of tunes that manage to bring the boogie from the off while they also hide all sorts of aural Easter eggs amidst the mix. 

On opening cut ‘Energy’, a droning start full of crisp drum programming soon develops into a head spinning electro groove reminiscent of Kraftwerk’s Computer World. An acid-laced bassline waxes and wanes, modulating in intensity across several minutes as Begg sprinkles in percussion, synth blurts and vocoder vocals. It’s a slyly insistent rump-shaker, and the - ahem - energy that the track provides carries through into following number ‘Buckfunk Beatz’. This joint begins with a gnarly, chattering synth sound before the sizzle and snap of a broken-beat kick-hat loop locks into place. While still very Kraftwerkian, ‘Buckfunk Beatz’ also has the playful grizzle of contemporary practitioners like Cardopusher and Begg’s fellow CPU operator Silicon Scally. 

Things switch up at the start of Energie Electrique’s second side. Rather than rolling out a high-octane groove, Begg delivers a low-slung mid-tempo roller called ‘MS10 Machine Funk’. The programming on the kick drum here could almost pass for a dirty south hip-hop production if Begg didn’t lace it with such a strangely compelling use of the oscillator - sometimes squealing, sometimes squawking, sometimes wobbling, always thrilling. The mix flecked with chordal stabs, ‘MS10 Machine Funk’ is a masterclass in combining danceable beats with the quest for thrilling sounds that is so often the mark of a truly musical mind. 

To round things out, Begg brings us back to the beginning. ‘Electro P1 B’ is a delightfully dystopian bit of Drexciyanism. Piston-hiss drum programming, nervy atonal synth nodules, some cavernous reverb deployment - this is a body-mover if ever you heard one, and one executed with all the style, aplomb and panache you’d expect of Begg. Si Begg takes his Central Processing Unit bow with the Energie Electrique EP, a quartet of club tracks to rival anything in his vast and vaunted discography. 

RIYL: Kraftwerk, Silicon Scally, Drexciya, Cardopusher, Annie Hall

Tracklist :
01. Energy
02. Buckfunk Beatz
03. MS10 Machine Funk
04. Electro P1 B

Preview here: soundcloud.com/cpurecords/si-begg-energie-electrique

releases June 2, 2023

All tracks written and produced by Si Begg
Mastered at Computer Club Sheffield
Design by Human / www.humanstudio.com

Energie Electrique

Buckfunk Beatz

TL PREMIERE : Si Begg - Buckfunk Beatz [Central Processing Unit]

Carl Finlow keeps on keepin’ on. Not only is Finlow one of the most respected names in electro, a producer who boasts a sprawling catalogue that takes in a wide variety of aliases, but he’s also spent recent years establishing himself as a mainstay for Sheffield’s Central Processing Unit label. Soft Robotics, the new EP from Finlow’s Silicon Scally project, is the fifth Silicon Scally release in five years to boast one of CPU’s instantly-recognisable black-and-white covers.

The reason that Silicon Scally and CPU keep linking up is simple; they’re a perfect fit for one another. Central Processing Unit has established itself as a haven for post-Drexciya producers since launching in 2012, and there are few artists better than Finlow at building on the Detroit group’s sound. The union bears fruit once more on Soft Robotics, an EP of lithe machine-funk jams that will both do damage in the dance and also reward more concentrated home listening.

Things begin at a steadier speed than one might expect. Rather than barrelling off with the kind of sinewy roller one associates with the CPU name, Soft Robotics’ title-track takes things at mid-pace. The groove reveals itself without hurry, Silicon Scally adding or subtracting elements - twitchy modular loops, pensive pads, the occasional blurt of low-end - atop the chugging bass/drums groove. It’s a track which wins you over with guile rather than force.

As the name of subsequent cut ‘Jitters’ intimates, this one picks things up a little after ‘Soft Robotics’. The tempo is higher here, the central beat more nervy. At their cores, though, ‘Jitters’ and ‘Soft Robotics’ are kindred spirits. Here, another slyly insistent bit of drum programming comes swirled up with all sorts of extraterrestrial tones, from little nuggets of melody supplied by the keys to electrifying synth stabs and percussive squelches.

Things limber up further still on first B-side ‘Spin Ratio’. The track’s 808 kicks are punchier than those of the A-side jams, and there’s a dizziness to the bass tone which gives ‘Spin Ratio’ an intriguingly off-kilter feel. Atop the booming beat we find ourselves hypnotised by cells of melody and harmony interlocking or moving apart - particularly the staccato module at the track’s heart. Sure enough, ‘Spin Ratio’ is the Soft Robotics joint which cleaves closest to Drexciya, invoking other Detroit disciples like Jensen Interceptor in the process.

After Soft Robotics picks up speed in the middle, closer ‘Super Fluid Tones’ brings us back to where we started. This track returns to the more measured delivery of the record’s opener - there’s a steady pulse to the drums, and once again Silicon Scally packs the mix with so many intriguing whizzes, bangs, blips and blurts that it’s impossible not be won over by this tune’s construction. ‘Soft Robotics’ and ‘Super Fluid Tones’ bookend Soft Robotics very nicely, and Silicon Scally’s smart pacing gives the EP a lovely ebb and flow.

The ever-excellent Carl Finlow drops a Silicon Scally release via Central Processing Unit for the fifth year running. Like its predecessors, Soft Robotics is an excellent and deftly-crafted collection of modern machine-funk.

RIYL: Drexciya, Jensen Interceptor, Fleck E.S.C., The Advent

Silicon Scally - Soft Robotics

Eddie Symons’ fine recent run for Central Processing Unit continues. The NULLPTR mastermind makes it four releases on the Sheffield label in five years with Recursor, a six-track EP which balances precision-engineered machine-funk grooves with an overarching aura of gracefulness.

Recursor finds its lane from the opening title-track. On the quicksilver ‘Recursor’ we get Drexciyan punch, a needlegun bassline and staccato arps offset by eerie washes of synths. There’s a tension between the two elements of the track, and this yin-yang combination means that’ Recursor’ will work equally well for both the rave’s darkest corners and also the euphoria of a sunrise set.

After the title-track begins the record at breakneck speed, ‘Pulsar’ puts proceedings into cruise control. There’s still enough punch in the drum programming to ensure that ‘Pulsar’ will deliver in the dance, but this mid-paced tune is dominated by its warping bassline and keening keys, all of which comes together for a pretty and strangely wistful number. ‘Pulsar’s energy persists into following cut ‘Phase Function, though there’s a twitchiness to the bassline here which gives this track a nervier, more neurotic feel. As well as the golden age of Detroit electro, you’re also looking at Silicon Scally and Annie Hall as ballpark references, though there’s a winning idiosyncrasy to the production here which is all NULLPTR’s own.

The groove which kicks off the second half of Recursor is one of the most focussed on the whole EP - ‘Seil’ has a bassline which moves with the intent of a heat-seeking missile. When combined with the distant snap of 808s and twinkling arps, the whole thing very much maintains the shadowy feeling of ‘Phase Function’, and it’s an energy that Recursor rides into ‘Stone Tape’. ‘Stone Tape’ boasts another stellar bassline, but rather than the low-end barrelling forward intensely as it does on ‘Seil’ the bass here skips all around the mix, pleasingly erratic and playful. 

‘Portal’ is an apt title for Recuror’s sixth and final track. Indeed, the whole vibe of ‘Portal’ makes it a perfect closer for this EP of detailed electro jams. This tune really does feel like a portal being opened, the bass and drums busying themselves on the floor while chemtrails of synth in the upper-end of the mix intimate something enticing beyond the threshold.

Sparky yet sleek, Recursor is the latest fine machine-funk collection from NULLPTR.

RIYL: Annie Hall, Silicon Scally, Legowelt

Recursor

NULLPTR - Recursor

TL Premiere #1301 (2023.07.07) : Silicon Scally - Super Fluid Tones [Central Processing Unit]

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For this 166th Premiere of 2023, we have a track by veteran UK Electro producer, now based in France, Carl Finlow, aka "Silicon Scally", titled ‘Super Fluid Tones’ from his forthcoming EP "Soft Robotics" on the independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 2012, specialising in electronic music : Central Processing Unit (@cpurecords).

The EP will be available on August 4, 2023 in Limited Edition 12" Vinyl + Digital.

▶︎ Pre-order : https://shop.cpurecords.net/album/soft-robotics

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Release Info :

Silicon Scally - Soft Robotics [Central Processing Unit]

Carl Finlow keeps on keepin’ on. Not only is Finlow one of the most respected names in electro, a producer who boasts a sprawling catalogue that takes in a wide variety of aliases, but he’s also spent recent years establishing himself as a mainstay for Sheffield’s Central Processing Unit label. Soft Robotics, the new EP from Finlow’s Silicon Scally project, is the fifth Silicon Scally release in five years to boast one of CPU’s instantly-recognisable black-and-white covers.

The reason that Silicon Scally and CPU keep linking up is simple; they’re a perfect fit for one another. Central Processing Unit has established itself as a haven for post-Drexciya producers since launching in 2012, and there are few artists better than Finlow at building on the Detroit group’s sound. The union bears fruit once more on Soft Robotics, an EP of lithe machine-funk jams that will both do damage in the dance and also reward more concentrated home listening.

Things begin at a steadier speed than one might expect. Rather than barrelling off with the kind of sinewy roller one associates with the CPU name, Soft Robotics’ title-track takes things at mid-pace. The groove reveals itself without hurry, Silicon Scally adding or subtracting elements - twitchy modular loops, pensive pads, the occasional blurt of low-end - atop the chugging bass/drums groove. It’s a track which wins you over with guile rather than force.

(...)

Things limber up further still on first B-side ‘Spin Ratio’. The track’s 808 kicks are punchier than those of the A-side jams, and there’s a dizziness to the bass tone which gives ‘Spin Ratio’ an intriguingly off-kilter feel. Atop the booming beat we find ourselves hypnotised by cells of melody and harmony interlocking or moving apart - particularly the staccato module at the track’s heart. Sure enough, ‘Spin Ratio’ is the Soft Robotics joint which cleaves closest to Drexciya, invoking other Detroit disciples like Jensen Interceptor in the process.

After Soft Robotics picks up speed in the middle, closer ‘Super Fluid Tones’ brings us back to where we started. This track returns to the more measured delivery of the record’s opener - there’s a steady pulse to the drums, and once again Silicon Scally packs the mix with so many intriguing whizzes, bangs, blips and blurts that it’s impossible not be won over by this tune’s construction. ‘Soft Robotics’ and ‘Super Fluid Tones’ bookend Soft Robotics very nicely, and Silicon Scally’s smart pacing gives the EP a lovely ebb and flow.

The ever-excellent Carl Finlow drops a Silicon Scally release via Central Processing Unit for the fifth year running. Like its predecessors, Soft Robotics is an excellent and deftly-crafted collection of modern machine-funk.

Tracklist :
1. Soft Robotics
2. Jitters
3. Spin Ratio
4. Super Fluid Tones

All tracks written and produced by Carl Finlow.
Mastered at Computer Club Sheffield
Design by Human / www.humanstudio.com

Soft Robotics

Super Fluid Tones

TL PREMIERE : Silicon Scally - Super Fluid Tones [Central Processing Unit]

TL Premiere #1348 (2023.09.08) : NULLPTR - Phase Function [Central Processing Unit]

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For this 213rd Premiere of 2023, we have a track by the veteran UK Electro Producer and DJ, Eddie Symons, aka "NULLPTR", titled ‘Phase Function’ from his forthcoming EP "Recursor" on the independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 2012, specialising in electronic music : Central Processing Unit (CPU Records).

The EP will be available on October 6, 2023 in Limited Edition 12" Vinyl + Digital.

▶︎ Pre-order : https://shop.cpurecords.net/album/recursor

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Release Info :

NULLPTR - Recursor [Central Processing Unit]

Eddie Symons’ fine recent run for Central Processing Unit continues. The NULLPTR mastermind makes it four releases on the Sheffield label in five years with Recursor, a six-track EP which balances precision-engineered machine-funk grooves with an overarching aura of gracefulness.

Recursor finds its lane from the opening title-track. On the quicksilver ‘Recursor’ we get Drexciyan punch, a needlegun bassline and staccato arps offset by eerie washes of synths. There’s a tension between the two elements of the track, and this yin-yang combination means that’ Recursor’ will work equally well for both the rave’s darkest corners and also the euphoria of a sunrise set. 

After the title-track begins the record at breakneck speed, ‘Pulsar’ puts proceedings into cruise control. There’s still enough punch in the drum programming to ensure that ‘Pulsar’ will deliver in the dance, but this mid-paced tune is dominated by its warping bassline and keening keys, all of which comes together for a pretty and strangely wistful number. ‘Pulsar’s energy persists into following cut ‘Phase Function, though there’s a twitchiness to the bassline here which gives this track a nervier, more neurotic feel. As well as the golden age of Detroit electro, you’re also looking at Silicon Scally and Annie Hall as ballpark references, though there’s a winning idiosyncrasy to the production here which is all NULLPTR’s own.

The groove which kicks off the second half of Recursor is one of the most focussed on the whole EP - ‘Seil’ has a bassline which moves with the intent of a heat-seeking missile. When combined with the distant snap of 808s and twinkling arps, the whole thing very much maintains the shadowy feeling of ‘Phase Function’, and it’s an energy that Recursor rides into ‘Stone Tape’. ‘Stone Tape’ boasts another stellar bassline, but rather than the low-end barrelling forward intensely as it does on ‘Seil’ the bass here skips all around the mix, pleasingly erratic and playful. 

‘Portal’ is an apt title for Recuror’s sixth and final track. Indeed, the whole vibe of ‘Portal’ makes it a perfect closer for this EP of detailed electro jams. This tune really does feel like a portal being opened, the bass and drums busying themselves on the floor while chemtrails of synth in the upper-end of the mix intimate something enticing beyond the threshold. 

Sparky yet sleek, Recursor is the latest fine machine-funk collection from NULLPTR. 

Tracklist :
1. Recursor
2. Pulsar
3. Phase Function
4. Seil
5. Stone Tape
6. Portal

releases October 6, 2023

All tracks written and produced by Eddie Symons.
Mastered at Computer Club Sheffield
Design by Human / www.humanstudio.com

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Follow NULLPTR :
Bandcamp : www.bovaflux.bandcamp.com
Discogs : www.discogs.com/artist/43028-Bovaflux
Facebook : www.facebook.com/bovaflux
Instagram : www.instagram.com/bovaflux
RA : www.ra.co/dj/bovaflux
SoundCloud : www.soundcloud.com/bovaflux
Twitter : www.twitter.com/bovaflux
Website : www.bovaflux.co.uk

Follow Central Processing Unit :
Discogs : www.discogs.com/label/424941-Central-Processing-Unit
Facebook : www.facebook.com/cpurecords
Instagram : www.instagram.com/cpurecords
SoundCloud : www.soundcloud.com/cpurecords
Twitter : www.twitter.com/CPURECORDS
Website : www.cpurecords.net
YouTube : www.youtube.com/user/cpuoutput

Phase Function

TL PREMIERE : NULLPTR - Phase Function [Central Processing Unit]

TL Premiere #1432 (2023.11.17) : Global Goon - Calcula [Central Processing Unit]

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For this 297th Premiere of 2023, we have a track by "Global Goon" (@globalgoons) titled ‘Calcula’ from his forthcoming mini-LP "Nanoclusters" on the independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 2012, specialising in electronic music : Central Processing Unit (@cpurecords).

The mini-LP will be available on December 1, 2023 in Limited Edition 12" Vinyl + Digital.

▶︎ Pre-order : https://shop.cpurecords.net/album/nanoclusters

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Release Info :

Global Goon - Nanoclusters [Central Processing Unit]

While this may be the first release on Sheffield’s Central Processing Unit from Global Goon, the one known to friends and family as Johnny Hawk brings a whole heap of experience to the Nanoclusters mini-LP.

Hawk started dropping Global Goon records on the legendary Rephlex Records back in the 1990s. The project’s subsequent releases have taken in imprints as esteemed as WéMè and Balkan. Factor in a whole host of other aliases which have delivered missives via the likes of Planet Mu, and you know even before you press play on this witty, wily record that you’re dealing with a master at work here.

The confidence with which Global Goon approaches Nanoclusters shines through in Hawk taking much of the mini-album at midtempo. Cuts like ‘Khroxic Mould’, ‘Metallik’ and ‘Syntheseers’ sound like Bochum Welt heading down a dark alleyway. The former in particular is a seasick lope, the tuned synths lurching around like sailors on deck in a storm as bass ebbs and flows underneath the mix.

The influence of Kraftwerk comes through prominently at times here, particularly in the way ‘Calcula’ and ‘Digit Six’ play pensive, slightly sombre synth chords off some simple but effective forward motion in the drum programming. That is not to say that Nanoclusters is not full of invention, though. None of the productions are overly flash, but this approach allows the little details to shine through more clearly, from cleverly panned hi-hats to hissing synth counter-melodies which flit in and out of the mix. Enthralling and packed full of ear candy, they’re further evidence that Nanoclusters is the work of an expert craftsman.

While the pulse of Nanoclusters remains relatively steady throughout, it’s still a rather lively record. Plenty of these tracks will get the dancefloor moving if deployed correctly - though whether they’re heard at home or in the dance, it’s the attention to detail which makes them stand out.

‘Snapterisk’ is as perfect an example of machine-funk as you’re likely to find - the drum programming is razor-sharp but rubbery with bongos, the bass a lithe burble, and those wobbly stabs of keys that put a bit of wiggle in the beat? Delightful stuff. Elsewhere the ever-looping arpeggio of ‘Metro Esc’ has hints of Frankie Knuckles’ house classic ‘Your Love’, though an array of interesting sonic nuggets - snippets of vocal, radar-like bloops, a gently insistent low-end pulse - soften the track’s clubbier elements with a pillowy sheen. And Hawk throws us a curveball right at the end of Nanoclusters, tapping back into that old Rephlex sound for the fizzy, braindancing ‘Metal Glass’. 
 
Global Goon doesn’t need to show off on Nanoclusters - from brilliantly slick machine-funk to Kraftwerkian reveries, the CPU debutant lets the music do the talking here. It makes for a confident and vivacious mini-LP, one which wears its expertise lightly. 

Tracklist :
1. Khroxic Mould
2. Snapterisk
3. Metallik
4. Syntheseers
5. Calcula
6. Metro Esc
7. Digit Six
8. Metal Glass

releases December 1, 2023

All tracks written and produced by Jonathan Taylor.
Mastered at Computer Club Sheffield
Design by Human / www.humanstudio.com

Nanoclusters

Calcula

TL PREMIERE : Global Goon - Calcula [Central Processing Unit]

After building up a head of steam on labels such as Craigie Knowes and Rotterdam Electronix in the past couple of years, Larionov debuts on Sheffield's Central Processing Unit with the Space Threat EP. Larionov's previous releases have shown off a musical sensibility which is both schooled in classic electro stylings and also able to reach for leftfield sonics in a way which sets the producer apart from the pack. It's a vibe that continues into this record, a quartet of busy electro joints which are characterised by a brooding, neurotic energy.

The opening title-track is precisely the sort of thing which would soundtrack a voyage to the outer-edges of the solar system. 'Space Threat' is a nervy, restless bit of machine-funk, the track moving forward at a midtempo which manages to be at once steady and slightly fidgety. The beat skitters and swerves, a perpetual-motion machine of minor-key bass, strange modular flutters and thwacking snares. All of this is draped in icy washes of keyboard - think Drexciya if they blasted into outer space rather than delving deep down in the ocean.

'Asteroid Attack' works from the same blueprint for 'Space Threat' but ratchets up the intensity a little to take the track to another galaxy. It's still powered by a livewire neurosis, all piston-sharp drums and whirligig synth percussion. However, an increased tempo, strangely poignant keyboard lines and little snatches of vocoder-drenched vocals turn 'Asteroid Attack' in the direction of modern practitioners like Cardopusher and CPU homie Silicon Scally.

Opening up the EP's B-side, 'Flying High' finds a midpoint between its predecessors, returning to the steadier pace and twitchy vibe of 'Space Threat' but maintaining 'Asteroid Attack's single-note counter-melodies and digified vocals - although here the ghostly treatment on the voice makes for a hugely eerie atmosphere. Around the four-minute mark, the track peels back the veil of synth pads and wobbling keys stabs to turn the attention wholly to the rhythm section, a choice which feels like taking a stiff drink in order to redouble your energy for the next part of the night.

'Vimana Ride' runs with 'Flying High's approach to see Space Threat out in style. There's something to the digital vocal sighs that make up the melody of this cut which gives things a really uncanny quality - it's the kind of sonic choice that Sadboys producers like Yung Gud and Yung Sherman would make, but applied wholly to the service of crafting body-popping, acid-tinged electro.

Larionov arrives on Central Processing Unit with an EP of anxiously excellent electro experiments.

RIYL: Cardopusher, Silicon Scally, Annie Hall, Cygnus

Space Threat

Larionov - Space Threat

TL Premiere #1471 (2024.01.05) : Larionov - Vimana Ride [Central Processing Unit]

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For this 1st Premiere of 2024, we have a track by Russian DJ/Producer based in Voronezh "Larionov" titled ‘Vimana Ride’ from his forthcoming EP "Space Threat" on the independent British record label, founded in Sheffield in 2012, specialising in electronic music : Central Processing Unit (CPU Records).

The EP will be available on February 2, 2024 in Limited Edition 12" Vinyl + Digital.

▶︎ Pre-order : centralprocessingunit.bandcamp.com/album/space-threat

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Release Info :

Larionov - Space Threat [Central Processing Unit]

After building up a head of steam on labels such as Craigie Knowes and Rotterdam Electronix in the past couple of years, Larionov debuts on Sheffield's Central Processing Unit with the Space Threat EP. Larionov's previous releases have shown off a musical sensibility which is both schooled in classic electro stylings and also able to reach for leftfield sonics in a way which sets the producer apart from the pack. It's a vibe that continues into this record, a quartet of busy electro joints which are characterised by a brooding, neurotic energy.

The opening title-track is precisely the sort of thing which would soundtrack a voyage to the outer-edges of the solar system. 'Space Threat' is a nervy, restless bit of machine-funk, the track moving forward at a midtempo which manages to be at once steady and slightly fidgety. The beat skitters and swerves, a perpetual-motion machine of minor-key bass, strange modular flutters and thwacking snares. All of this is draped in icy washes of keyboard - think Drexciya if they blasted into outer space rather than delving deep down in the ocean. 

'Asteroid Attack' works from the same blueprint for 'Space Threat' but ratchets up the intensity a little to take the track to another galaxy. It's still powered by a livewire neurosis, all piston-sharp drums and whirligig synth percussion. However, an increased tempo, strangely poignant keyboard lines and little snatches of vocoder-drenched vocals turn 'Asteroid Attack' in the direction of modern practitioners like Cardopusher and CPU homie Silicon Scally. 

Opening up the EP's B-side, 'Flying High' finds a midpoint between its predecessors, returning to the steadier pace and twitchy vibe of 'Space Threat' but maintaining 'Asteroid Attack's single-note counter-melodies and digified vocals - although here the ghostly treatment on the voice makes for a hugely eerie atmosphere. Around the four-minute mark, the track peels back the veil of synth pads and wobbling keys stabs to turn the attention wholly to the rhythm section, a choice which feels like taking a stiff drink in order to redouble your energy for the next part of the night. 

'Vimana Ride' runs with 'Flying High's approach to see Space Threat out in style. There's something to the digital vocal sighs that make up the melody of this cut which gives things a really uncanny quality - it's the kind of sonic choice that Sadboys producers like Yung Gud and Yung Sherman would make, but applied wholly to the service of crafting body-popping, acid-tinged electro. 

Larionov arrives on Central Processing Unit with an EP of anxiously excellent electro experiments. 

Tracklist :
1. Space Threat
2. Asteroid Attack
3. Flying High
4. Vimana Ride

releases February 2, 2024

All tracks written and produced by Dmitry Larionov.
Mastered at Computer Club Sheffield
Design by Human / www.humanstudio.com

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Follow Larionov :
Bandcamp : www.larionov.bandcamp.com
Facebook : www.facebook.com/Larionovmusic
Instagram : www.instagram.com/larionovmusic
Linktree : www.linktr.ee/larionovmusic
SoundCloud : www.soundcloud.com/larionov

Follow Central Processing Unit :
Facebook : www.facebook.com/cpurecords
Instagram : www.instagram.com/cpurecords
SoundCloud : www.soundcloud.com/cpurecords
Website : www.cpurecords.net
YouTube : www.youtube.com/user/cpuoutput

Vimana Ride

TL PREMIERE : Larionov - Vimana Ride [Central Processing Unit]

After building up a head of steam on labels such as Craigie Knowes and Rotterdam Electronix in the past couple of years, Larionov debuts on Sheffield's Central Processing Unit with the Space Threat EP. Larionov's previous releases have shown off a musical sensibility which is both schooled in classic electro stylings and also able to reach for leftfield sonics in a way which sets the producer apart from the pack. It's a vibe that continues into this record, a quartet of busy electro joints which are characterised by a brooding, neurotic energy.

Larionov arrives on Central Processing Unit with an EP of anxiously excellent electro experiments.

@larionov

https://beacons.ai/looselipsmusic

PREMIERE: Larionov - Flying High [Central Processing Unit]

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Central Processing Unit

Victor Valmont