Favourite Five || October
Derek Carr – Central Connections [Subwax Excursions]
Little is known about Irish techno producer Derek Carr. This seems unlikely considering he has been dubbed as a ‘disciple of Detroit techno’. With a handful of releases in the early 2000’s, Derek planted himself very much on the radar receiving loyal praise from those who had acquainted themselves with his music. In that time he forged a worthy, yet not widely spread, reputation for composing stunning deep techno. A possible explanation for his underwhelming success was that he only pressed a finite number of records, with the result of limiting his reach. More recently these records have, rightly so, been in huge demand on Discogs.
In the present day, the Irishman has three albums and half a dozen EP’s under his belt. These largely feature mid to up-tempo tracks, with the occasional ambient electronic lullaby. Derek is known for his tuneful melodies, which are seemingly effortlessly layered one on top of the other – all of which is executed without the end product feeling overcrowded.
His release this month on Subwax Excursions called 'Central Connections' is definitely worth plugging into. Again full of melody (often a rarity in techno) this EP is one to sit back to. Made for both Friday and Sunday nights, Derek beautifully weaves intergalactic sounds with drums to put you into a state of trance. ‘Standing in the Sun’ and ‘Data Intercept’ would be my two favourites if I had the hard job of picking. Subwax Excursions is not the only label to be currently releasing Derek’s music. For Those That Knoe has dug deep into the archives to put together a sizeable selection of Derek's back catalogue, with some unreleased gems dotted amongst the classic must-haves, spread across three EPs. Keep an ear out for Derek, he’s now here to stay.
Buy: Vinyl
O’Flynn – Pluto’s Beating Heart/Eleven [Ninja Tune]
Ben Norris aka O’Flynn has joined forces with Ninja Tune to release ‘Pluto’s Beating Heart/Eleven’. The London based producer is best known for his track ‘Tyrion’, an Afro foot stomper that rapidly solidified his name and gained support from the likes of Four Tet and Giles Peterson. Since the success of his debut EP in 2015, he collaborated with Blip Discs for the second time round to release ‘Oberyn/Spyglass’. This has a similar vibe to his debut with its tribal influence, but shows his dynamism by introducing a murkier bassline on the A-side. He also displays a new side to his style, with sultry vocals complimented perfectly by a sensual jazzy rhythm. Later on that year he self-released, ‘Glow Worm/Aloha Ice Cream’, once again showing us he has yet another face to his production, bringing to life a more playful disco style.
With every new release he manages to maintain his trademark sound, but always brings a new element for us to feast on. Yet no one could have prepared us for his latest banquet. ‘Pluto’s Beating Heart’ has a supernova like energy. The synth work is sticky and the bass drills right through you, designed only to melt your auditory cortex. ‘Eleven’ takes on a more mysterious form, with its shimmering electronics and flinching breakbeat plunges.
In short, if Four Tet and Floating Points had a music brainchild it would sound like this record. One you will definitely hear liquefying the sound systems of the more serious venues.
Equiknoxx - Mark Ernestus Remixes [DDS]
This month has been one of the best in memory for dub techno records, thanks in no small part to one of its original pioneers (and owner of legendary record store Hardwax), Mark Ernestus, returning to the fore to remix dancehall upstarts Equiknoxx on DDS.
While the both remixes find him exploring similar rhythmic abstractions to his recent releases on his label Ndagga, the remix of 'Flagged Up' bathes these off-beat kicks in a cloud of pure, meditative synthetic bliss that harks back to the legendary Chain Reaction label and his releases as one half of Rhythm & Sound. This is real lights-off body-and-head stuff; and for those fans of this remix whose dreams aren't yet soundtracked by the Chain Reaction and Rhythm & Sound back catalogues, then it could be akin to a pandora's box.
Listen to the full release
David Mayer - Sirocco (Jonathan Kaspar Remix) [Objektivity]
Jonathan Kaspar’s impressive range as a producer continues with this remix of David Mayer’s ‘Sirocco’. The German based DJ has been busy of late with music out on New York based label Objektivity, run by André Hommen and dance music legend Dennis Ferrer. Contrast this with tracks such as ‘Roundhouse’ made just a little over a year ago, and it’s clear Kaspar's music style/producing ability has come a long way. Be sure to keep an ear out for him in the future, a rising star for sure.
Buy: Digital
Zen Racoon - Rambóia [Iboga Records]
Duo, Zen Racoon, release a six-track EP on Copenhagen based label, Iboga Records. Rambóia,Portuguese for partying, is a release packed with beautiful sound design and full ranging sonic frequencies creating a danceable yet emotive result. Only the music can fully talk the talk so I leave you with the fun fact that one half of the duo is a zoologist and runs his own farm. Enjoy loudly!
Buy: Digital
29/10/17
Words by Alex M, Max J, Matt J, Hugo P & Giles O