From his Chicago roots spring ties to 5 Magazine (where he contributed to their DJ mix series) and his edits on Partehardy Records, and he shows off a full range of sound on this installment to the Phonocast series. Stretching from raw electroid and industrial sounds to lush r&b and gospel house, to beatdown and funkadelic styles, he works it out for this Record Store Day special in-store session. This set was recorded on the evening of Saturday April 21st at the shop.
For those that are unfamiliar with Eddie Palmieri‘s work, here is an open invitation to the magnificence of his latest piece “Mi Congo Te Llama”, a 12 inch produced and mixed by Joaquin Joe Claussell on Fania, distributed by Sacred Rhythm Music.
Born of parents from Ponce, Puerto Rico, Eddie was raised in the South Bronx of NY where he got his start in music at 8 years of age, later becoming a Grammy Award winning pianist and band musician combining jazz solos with latin rhythms.
Take the genius, artistry and experience of Eddie Palmieri united with the creative production, imagination and passion of producer/remixer extraordinaire Joe Claussell, supplementary percussion/timbales provided by Jose Cochise Claussell, contributing organ/keyboards orchestrated by Bennett Paster and you have a masterpiece of remarkable vision and depth.
This plate encompasses 2 full, robust mixes designed to transport the listener to the harmonious festivities of a densely populated island in the central West Indies formerly known as Porto Rico. The Sacred Rhythm Main Mix is more like a journey that simmers, settles and peaks with vividity and comes in at little more than 16 minutes in length. The Sacred Rhythm Dub is an eventful monster that seems to take off in a different direction from it’s counterpart. The percussions and keys give new meaning to the word drama but it is the organ solo that is pure insanity, beautifully haunting and more than enough to reduce a grown man to tears.
Review by Oscar McMillan
Noleian, top notch experimental techno and house deejay and recording artist with solo releases on Mathematics, Tevo Howard Recordings, and Love What You Feel, plus appearances on Future Times, Creme Organization and Antenna International, sometimes one half of Africans With Mainframes… one of Chicago’s hidden talents. Come and check out his selections this Friday evening, May 11th while Gramaphone welcomes him as our featured artist for Phonocast 07.
Some seriously spaced out, psychedelic tech-house music is what’s at the heart of this second release on Beats In Space. Not all too surprising considering the variety of music featured on BiS.
The lead cut on this offering from Secret Circuit (Eddie Ruscha) is “Nebula Sphynx”, a journey through squelching analogue synths, soaring arpeggios and raw house drum patterns. Its followed up by the wandering tribal rhythms, shuffling snares and rolling bassline of “Parascopic Rope.”
Both tracks are certainly adventurous, and would be a challenge for most dancefloors, however in the hands of the right selector they could really turn the party out. Either way this is excellent music, well produced and thought out and great for listening. Highly recommended to fans of Emporer Machine and the DC Records camp.
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This repress of 2009′s Frozen Border 01 is seemingly from a time much sooner than that. Punishing, Hard Detroit styled techno on the A side. A touch housier feel on the B with some stuttering delayed stabs and sub bass pulse.
This EP sounds like it should be played in a factory not a club. It wouldn’t sound out of place at all with the Hardfloor tracks on Harthouse. If you like the hard, minimal, analogue stuff it doesn’t get much better.
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Jamal Moss’ Mathematics label is truly one of the most exciting out there. There is no pretense about what you are going to get, as the label continues to feature adventurous music from artists from all over the world. In this case it is Switzerland’s Echo 106.
This EP really took me back to the techno/electro world of the mid to late nineties. Its built of that kind of formula; raw sounds creating melodies over smartly programmed drum patterns. There is no attempt to apologize for this either and that is what I believe makes this EP current and not a throwback to a past musical idea. From the stomping, four to the floor, rotating grind of “Broken Hihat Machine” into the breakbeat driven electro wanderings of “Copy Ins Del” and “From Brunnen To The Nile” through to the beauty and mystery of “Wakame Strings” this is a true EP full of smart musicianship and concepts.
This one is a must have for the machine music fans out there and should find a certain home with the techno set as well.
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2843 N. Clark St.
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I know I do this every once in a while, but this one again is a no brainer. Its a bootleg repress of 1994′s “The Day We Lost The Soul/Tribute! (To The Soul We Lost)” and 1995′s “The Dancer” both of which are definitely Mr. Kenny Dixon Jr. hitting it on all cylinders. KDJ is definitely a huge reason why deep house is as big as it is right now as he has been at the forefront of the deep Detroit house sound since ’94. This repress also features “Long Hot Sex Nights” on the B-side which was recorded live featuring Norma Jean Bell on vocals and is a personal favorite.
While the sound quality may be lacking in the pressing, these singles are not easy to come by these days with “The Day We Lost…” selling for $50 or more if you can find a copy. Grab this one while you can in the meantime.
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2843 N. Clark St.
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Its interesting to find such an affinity for a sound rooted in the midwest USA to be the focus of a label based in the home of sunshine, oranges and Mickey Mouse. However, that’s whats going on at Orlando’s Finale Sessions.
For this eighth release they round up tracks from Toronto’s Basic Soul Unit, Joey Anderson from NYC (now Germany) and Hamburg’s Vincenzo. Basic Soul Unit starts things off with “Depthcharge” an aptly named Detroit’esque jam featuring some nice 707 toms, nice drum programming and an acidic 303 line. Next up Joey Anderson gives us a brooding, almost foreboding, sparse house track in “Trapped In Motion” with some real horror show suspense and sense of melody. On the flip Vincenzo delivers what he does best with some deep, floating house in “You Remind Me” with a nice piano chord change and stuttering bassline.
If this is the kind of music that’s hitting in Orlando Florida right now, things may just be OK for the stateside scene. Solid release.
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2843 N. Clark St.
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The Ukraine’s Vakula (Mikhaylo Vityk) is certainly making his name producing otherworldly house and techno and this 2nd release on his Leleka label does not stray from that formula.
First off beyond the sound it contains, the package certainly fits the dynamic beauty of the music. With a White/Black vinyl showing a hand stamped label on one side and a printed label on the other. Its a strikingly good looking slab.
Beyond looks, the music does not disappoint on this limited edition (only 500 will be made) EP. I’ve seen Vakula’s music described as “afro-cosmic-slavic-dub” and I can’t say it much better. There are parts of his music that sound like Bodycode, parts that sound like Mattew Dear and parts that sound like Echospace. Each track on this EP is different but full of an interesting, hypnotic beauty. Get it while they last as this is an amazing release for the DJ and listener alike.
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2843 N. Clark St.
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For his new vinyl only label Episodes, Ike Release has put together a solid EP of gritty, machine driven house. From the square bass wanderings of “Subsequent” to the driving groove and chorded melody of “Puntigam” he is showcasing a sound more derivative of his home town than some of his previous garage/bass work for Infrasonics.
On the flip another local favorite, Hakim Murphy, reworks the lead track into a circling, drum machine workout that ups the sonic intensity. Full of low rumbles and a deeper darker bassline Murphy’s programming work really shines here. The last track, Release’s “Wetworks”, definitely has more of that Panorama Bar feel to it with it’s delayed snare lines and dark reverb soaked synths that morph into a metallic melody at intervals throughout the track.
Deep, dark and emotive this first Episodes release sets a high standard, but I’m sure its one that will be maintained with Ike Release at the helm.
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Chicago-based producer & prolific live PA artist Lokua helps launch the new (also local) CPKay imprint with his debut EP.
The 12″ is 3-part theme & variation on stonking, heavy, proper-techno sound. Very much in line with the recent works of Time To Express, Prologue and their ilk, this is a precisely produced salvo of dark, monochromatic nightclub techno. With years of work in manipulating sounds on the fly, Lokua’s beats here are constantly mutating throughout each of the three tracks.
Each cut does have its own distinct approach, though: Overly is the straight ahead version, with brief but sonically oversized distorted crescendos and a driving midrange. Underly 1 is the low-end heavy, more subliminal version. Underly 2 is the requisite breakbeat version, like a cross between Traversable Wormhole and Byetone. Potent stuff.
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After reading bio material on this release, I think it may be complete bullshit. The story goes, Jason Grove is a reclusive Detroit producer from the late 80′s who worked with Jeff Mills and Anthony Srock on the Final Cut stuff. For those who don’t know Final Cut was a House Group turned Industrial band where Mills first got his start. Following Final Cut, Grove refused to release any of the house music he was making for years on analogue machines and solely gave it away on cassette tapes to friends and family. Then in L.A. french label Skylax wound up with a couple of these tapes and decided to put it out on vinyl only because Grove really doesn’t like computers.
My theory is…. Its Nicholas…. again. The sound is there and my guess is this is actually an all analogue project of his. I could be wrong but with only two other releases to his name (oddly enough on a label with three releases and the third being Nicholas under a pseudonym) Jason Grove seems a bit like a fictional character invented to catch the international market looking for anything with the words House and Detroit in the bio. I could be wrong and if you know or are Jason Grove, I’d love to hear from you. However, without a computer you will never read this, so oh well.
Anyway, the record is very, very, very good. So regardless of whether or not its a well thought out marketing scam, who cares. The music is some nice house music. However it sounds awfully well mastered and clean to be from 20 year old cassette tapes. Hmmmmmm…..
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So after some time we got to hear some new music from Inner City in 2011. This incarnation really reads more like a super group with Kevin Saunderson being joined by not just Paris Grey but also his daughter Ann, Kenny Larkin and Orlando Voorn. The track they made was hugely emotional, big room fare almost teetering on the edge of progressive (it was on Defected after all).
On this single we get two versions of the original. The first up is Carl Craig’s “C2 Edit” of the “Deep See Sound System Mix.” In it Carl extends out the track and morphs it into a more club friendly track than the original. However, its the flip that gets it going with Kenny Larkin’s “Tension Mix.” With this Kenny teases out the vocal, chopping and cutting it up into starts and stops of stuttering melody over the top of a droning tracky affair. Throw in some filtering all over and tons more editing to the vocal and you’ve got a winner here. This will be a very big cut in Detroit at this year at the festival, guaranteed.
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2843 N. Clark St.
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So, yeah… Omar S just keeps punishing us with creative, raw house music. This time with help from a new friend Patrik Sjeren. This one kicks off with “Income Tax Refund Dance” a slightly bizarre sounding, yet playful tune that keeps you moving while expanding your mind. This is followed by the more groovy “The White Castle Song.” It makes you wonder if a bag of sliders is where the first bit of that Tax Return money went doesn’t it? On this one, basically a rhythm track built around a simple piano line, Omar plays the filters and drops in and out his skittering hi-hats to minimalistic delight.
The flip sees our introduction to Mr. Sjeren in a pounding, distorted drum machine stomper that oddly enough (but not that surprisingly) reminded me of some mid-to-late 90s techno like Thomas Krome’s old jam “Burning Chrome” or the old Detroit favorite off of “Moments” by Murat. However, this one takes a similar tone but twists it into a bit deeper affair. Its a big track for sure, but not too big to get some club play. In the final track, titled “3c 273″ we get Omar at his more emotive with an electro jam that’s deep and pretty yet raw at the same time.
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For this edition of the Disco Deviance edit series (number 24 if you’re counting) Chicago’s own Rahaan gets the nod and he certainly delivers. With a solid, boogie-down assembly of The Escorts’ “Make Me Over” Rahaan takes the track to peak hour party levels. Full of rounded lows and a steady stomp, this one is dancefloor fuel for sure.
On the reverse, Rahaan dives deep into the disco archives and comes out with “Shut Up & Rock Me” stripped from Sabu. The way this one is pieced together makes Kano’s “Its A War” sound like its 1 year older brother. Its a serious high-energy jam that will definitely keep the feet movin’.
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Larry Heard is a legend so I need not say much about him. He has a knack for making even the most punishing house pretty and musical, a fact which is very evident on this re-release of his 1988 Play It Loud EP.
The A-side jacks around a twisting and turning synth bass line that just never wears out for the title cut. The flip kicks off with “Freestyle” which is some even more mental jacking house featuring a bouncing sub bass line that rolls into one singular note that is held in that distinctive Larry Heard manner at key moments. Closing out the EP is “Go Crazy”, a track that saw lots of play in Detroit with its wild attitude, sharp edits and chaotic melodies.
This one shouldn’t take much thought as to why you should own it.
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With this one Japanese producer No Milk of Third Ear, Yore and Capricious bends many rules and lines about what house music should sound like, especially for ears more accustomed to the rehashing of the same house sound over and over. Here No Milk delivers some serious no holding back house music but with some unique sounds, arrangements and stylings.
If you’re looking for some house music that blurs the lines between Detroit, Chicago, Japan and pulls influence from Jazz, Soul and the avant-garde this is the EP for you. If you aren’t, then maybe you should broaden your horizons and give this one a shot also.
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2843 N. Clark St.
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With a definite lean towards the 90′s house sounds of New York/New Jersey this takes Gerd back to his humble beginnings. Since his first tracks back in the early to mid 90′s the dutch producer named Gert-Jan Bijl has dabbled in many musical genres and sounds, however here he goes back to his roots under the name NY Stomp.
With “The NY House Trak” Bijl pulls out all the stops; a heavily flanged hi-hat line, big distorted kick, stuttering synth, chord stabs and both female and male vocal elements calling you to “Feel the rhythm of the house.” That track is then remixed by none other than Nicholas, the italian don of the new yet old school sounding house sound. In his rework he takes a slightly smoother approach by adding a bit more rolling bassline and some more lush sounds in place of the straightforward punches of the original.
On the flip we get “Can You Feel It?”, which uses some of the same elements and ideas as “The NY House Trak,” however we treated to a slightly more updated and mental sound here. Its a bit more locked in than the others yet deeper. This one is for the fans of many of the Quintessentials releases of late. This one is followed up by a remix by DJ Aakmael which is quite nice. This one has got more of a Detroit feel to it with a soulful tinge that’s rough around the edges. While its the first cut’s pounding energy that will likely get the most play, the last one’s subtle depth is not to be ignored.
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Emphasis proprietor and Obsolete Music Technology alter-ego Steven Tang has always taken a hardware-driven approach to dreamy techno, with melancholy chords and dry punchy drums that align him with the Model 500 and Rhythim Is Rhythim side of the Motor City’s lineage. Overall, this well-formed EP is no exception.
That said, the incorporation of the Chicago Skyway Pay Toll mix on the B side takes the release in a decidedly less-ethereal direction, he pulls the focus away from the drifting clouds of synth pads into a sharper realization of chopped drums and key-triggered vocal stabs. The title track gets the lions share of the playing time here, in addition to the rework, there’s an original version and ambient “Reprise” version included. Just as compelling, though, is “Distance:” an elegant, driven track much in the vein of ART or B12‘s best work.
While admittedly a pricey collection, this is a real gem of a package. It was originally put out as a free / donation-based digital only album, but happily (perhaps due to strong listener response) Legowelt has self-released the beautiful, rough, personal recordings in vinyl package. Danny Wolfers describes the original project thusly:
“Ok people here it is the new Legowelt album which is free to download for u all / Its got a hella lot deep tape saturated forest-techno tracks on it and when I say Techno i dont mean that boooooooooooring / contemporary shit they call techno nowadays with overrated tallentless pretentious douchebag cunt DJs playing a few / halfassed dumb mongo beats and being all arty fartsy about it.”
Enjoy.
Visit or call Gramaphone Records today to hear this release!
2843 N. Clark St.
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(773) 472-3683
