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This got a 7.7 off Pitchfork today. Ive given it one listen, I enjoyed it, its a success. Its got the usual warm groovy techno sound from his earlier Workshop stuff, but the sound design is more like the spiky sci-fi stuff on Disclosure/Scorched Erden. Hasn't blown me away on 1st listen like some of his stuff has, but think it might be a grower.

Its nearly 10 years since Rephlex closed for business, and I've been on a bit of a binge recently. Instead of the normal 'whats your favourite' topic I thought I'd ask everyone what their top release of each year they were in operation. Since youre all a bunch of rankers who love ranking it shouldnt be too hard. Cause of their sporadic release schedule some of these years were incredibly tough to choose, while other years have comparatively slim pickings, either way its quite fun. 1992 - AFX - Analogue Bubblebath 3 1993 - Drexciya - 3 Molecular Enhancement 1994 - Vulva - From The Cockpit 1995 - The Gentle People - Journey EP 1996 - Cylob - Cylobian Sunset 1997 - Kiyoshi Izumi - Effect Rainbow 1998 - Leila - Like Weather 1999 - Bogdan Raczynski - Samurai Math Beats 2000 - Yee King - SuperUser 2001 - Pierre Bastien - Mechanoid 2002 - Transllusion - L.I.F.E. 2003 - The Bug - Pressure 2004 - Kerrier District - Kerrier District 2005 - AFX - Analord 2006 - Voafose - Voafose 2007 - Dopplereffekt - Calabi-Yau Space 2008 - Bochum Welt - R.O.B. 2009 - Wisp - The Shimmering Hour 2010 - DMX Krew - Wave Funk 2011 - Steinvord - Steinvord 2012 - Jodey Kendrick - Steel Erector 2013 - EOD - Volume 1

https://kmos.bandcamp.com/album/workshop-32 Got high hopes for this one, his last LP on Workshop was a classic, and his other 2 are great as well. He's been quiet for a while too.

https://bblisss.bandcamp.com/album/tranquil-flutter-engulf-my-heart Another new one from 3XL, bit more minimal than their usual fare. The kind of luxuriously rich perfume-scented ambient made by the likes of Malibu and Romance.

My problem with most idm merch is that it either makes you look like a science/maths teacher on their day off, or a bum software engineer wearing some free promotional shirt. Which, to be fair does probably cover a lot of us.

Didn't think we'd see this one either after the comments about the masters degrading and no .wav source available (tho tbh I probably would have bought a copy that was sourced from mp3, it was the final storm I didn't have) Thanks to clone and GD, (and Mr Ferreira can still say he was right cause he didn't repress it personally lol)

I can see what Tresor are trying to do regarding the artwork, they want it all standardised, theyre using a black detroit artist, and maybe it even suits the tone of the music better But those original records are so iconic they shouldnt have been replaced. Even the boilerplate-ass red Shifted Phases cover. Also, Clone have just announced a repress of Abstract Thought's Hypothetical Situations (with the original artwork)

Another short e.p. came out today: https://honour2.bandcamp.com/album/cl3m3nc3y

I am loving the shit out of this sound, instead of dub techno, its dub jungle. It sounds like the stuff Breakage was doing 15 years ago but more polished.

'Ceephax does deep house'

Debit - The Long Count Jack J - Opening The Door Rat Heart Ensemble - A Blues James K - Random Girl Coby Sey - Conduit 700 Bliss - Nothing To Declare Shinichi Atobe - Love of Plastic CS + Kreme - Orange Ulla - Foam NUG - Napping Under God Honorary mentions to Bogdan, Mu-ziq, Dopplereffekt, Kode9, Plaid, Kuedo and Teresa Winter who all put out decent records this year too.

Depends wherabouts in 94. Anti and Amber didn't come out til the end of the year. SAW2 had a headstart for the race to my heart.

Going down similar avenues are artists like Lolina, Smerz, Jenny Hval, Pan Daijing.

Meandering, labyrinthine, only partially resolved, sometimes implied. Something exotic and alien in the scales. Then sometimes theyll do a massive obvious cheesefest like Dang Spot or Nightcrawler and it sounds just as good.

Im enjoying it. Not that he's had a bad run or anything but this def feels like its back to basics, getting the essentials right. Loving the haze. Wonder if there is any plans for a physical release?

This is a mad mad concept album: Regan from the Sweeney guides us on a journey through jazz funk, extreme rinsing of that Wilson Pickett break and copious amounts of record scratching. JK's also got a techno 12" out this week on that label that put out a Colundi comp last year. Looking forward to that one too.

Theyve always had completely different vibes to be fair, Ceephax is going for the retro fun thing while SP was always more cerebral/conceptual. I don't think innovation is really part of his brand or aesthetic and I'm always quite happy with the way he switches up the ratio of the ingredients each time to make something slightly different. Havent heard the new clips yet but Box Steady was more of a party atmosphere, while Camelot Arcade before it was more subdued and spooky. He is running under limited parameters tho and it would be interesting if he completely abandoned his sound palette.

Electronic eating music (munchies)

The funk/garage 12" with Voephose (sp?) and Ohm, i wonder if thats an alias for Simmonds/Vibert. Maybe an early version of Weirs. ?

Welcome Sam. Thanks for putting out so much good music on your label last year, Romance + Not Waving, Spivak, Celestial, Cucina Povera... i go on. Ecstatic has become one of those labels I really trust to deliver something special. These two lps have been on heavy rotation as well. Quality samplemashing.

Thanks for this. I suppose its a good thing the NME didnt mention those future releases by Arptran V, Hi Tech Acid and Voaphose & Ohm

Nice to hear something a bit lighter and more nimble for a change from Shack, (even if I do love that churning goblin sound. ) Reminds me of the Mark Ernestus stuff quite a bit.

Yeah im not bothered that its a bit tossed-off. Like many others, I only got into Andy Stott post-Luxury Problems, so this record (+ Passed Me By) has been on my want list for some time.

More like Small Mushroom Energy Thats what theyre all saying

R.i.p. sini Id find some quotes but all his best stuff was pre-crash I remember a thread where we were discussing the (then unreleased) Venus No.17 Acid mix and he was 100% convinced it was by Aphex, right down to analysing all the snare rushes n shit. He had me convinced as well.