Alien Rain
Empire Of Illusion EP
UFO Inc Records
TBR: 1st March


Scratchy and energetic techno belongs with UFO Inc. Ellen Allien's label is more than happy to include the sounds of Alien Rain. Milton Bradley was the figure behind UFO002, which seems a distance away now, and the cosmic weatherman is back with four ripping new mixes. The EP delivers an artillery of experimental electro-funk that focusses on the sound of the underground.


Empire Of Illusion begins with a heavy kick and hat combination that's soon joined by a heavy sounding suction bass. Warbling tones then add new eerie harmonies as a revolving door of spiralling energy flies upward. Notches of brief amplitude break like releasing seeds as wholesome beats pound in a relentless barrage of power. Huge bass kicks like a throbbing motor as homogenous tone roars underneath. Vocal samples find a space to project while scratching beats tap and snap in a variety of chatty loops.


The next track begins with a fire of random drumming that merges with bass and rubbery kick. Tapping wooden sounds waver on varying angles as vocal samples interject with atmospheric and interesting phonics. Rhythmic pulses on a mix of voices and synths mingle with the persistent rhythm which relentlessly plunges onward with ferocious bass. Numbers Station seems to have fractioned up the beats into workable formulae which mirror themselves across tessellations of multiple.


Another throbbing bass and hat rhythm bursts into being. This time it's simplified with a steady fill that intrigues and entices. A scampering bass riff then unravels in multiple directions. This merges and warps as new sensations to the tone break free. Fast energetic drums work a path into the framework, the music speeds up and huge swells of tempo thrash forward in waves of breaking beat energy. The synthesiser rears up and then swoops down, revealing epic synth tones that swell and harmonise in powerful doses of techno fusion. Misery Business is an intense number that drips with rhythm and dancing impetus.


The EP ends with Alien Tool. A quick bass matches warping synths that tonally dance on electronic hotplates. A repeating motif forms like a gust of wind that roars through the built-up areas. Zaps and resonant tones scatter in random directions as the kick continues to coalesce and creep along. Dripping atmosphere echoes in sunken zones that reach at us from red-shifting velocities. Will we get there? A minimal and enchanting tone rich drool through damp rhythms and progressive beats captured by brief and sporadic uplifts of melody catches us as we drift into imagination.


You can discover music by Alien Rain on Soundcloud


and Bandcamp


Follow Alien Rain on Facebook


Find UFO Inc Records on Bandcamp
​

​Mother Of Mars
I Hear
Ransom Note Records
TBR: 5th March


This debut album release from ex-The Rapture veterans Vito Roccoforte and Gabriel Andruzzi brings on a brand new name for the electronic music scene. Mother Of Mars now includes the vocals of Jaiko Suzuki, and after a long journey of post-punk, dance, kosmiche, and many other styles, this new outfit presses the right buttons on many stations while staying true to their novel and original sound.


It begins with a huge reverb and sloshing percussion sounds that echo and dissipate into seemingly endless valleys. Rattles and shakers conjure a frantic softness that ripples in time to something brewing beyond. Cymbals and drum then find a niche, tempo rises, beats and percussive phrases begin to paint a picture. A sudden rush of drum brings out a funky bass which soon becomes wrapped in zappy keyboards. Melodics rumble through Durga & Demon in foraging compositions as astral hedonistic sounds collide and evaporate with dream—like intensity.


I Hear is next which takes on the vocal talent of Jaiko Suzuki. Tempered beats thump in carriages and trains of intent as seductive close-in words chant melodic words into the merging synthesiser and drum. A building of passion and tone fathoms from deep waters that sparkle like lemonade as gutsy bass keeps time with the growing tree of lyricism. A harmonising vocal layer appears, surging the sauntering energy into new storeys that look out over patchwork gardens.


Next, a clock-like tempo begins ticking with a gentle swish of melody. Extra notes chime in electronic and fizzy motifs which knit together into a gradual formation of rhythm. Jaiko's charming voice returns with emotive dramatics. The words drift in lines of choral intrigue a blips and ticks gather like falling rain on hard street-lit surfaces. A drum-fill marks a new section and bass thunders in along with extra drums and percussion sounds. The lyrics continue as they would yet bumped up with extra compositional power.


Matteruno begins with a monotone beeping that shimmers with extra lustre. New motions emerge, melody and subtle shifting tones caress a simple and sleek tempo. Silky vocal returns with enchanting scope, the notes hang from cliffs and leap from hills as if in a dream dance. Odd sounds are effected and looped in extra outcrops of sound as more tingles reveal as mirrored feelings among deep and resonant chords.


An up-beat rhythm opens, dancing warbles of tone leap and frolic like rain bouncing from already wet ground. Revolving chimes and singing apparatus craft a spiralling energy within a neat mix of soft drum and intense high end. Shrill and emotive edges break from form like itching ribbons taking chunks out of a cloudy sky. Through The takes us into a kaleidoscope of fundamental particles and whizzing sensations of quantum ambiguity.


The album ends on Space Without A Shadow. It begins with a characterful bass rhythm thaat's framed with shattering cymbals. Melodic reaches bring out a swooping floor to descend into and as we do we're greeted by the familiar vocals that make this album so wholesome. Resonant drums scatter sounds into angular junctures while moody and velvetine pressures brush against our goosebumped skin. A new energy intervenes, the vocals speed up with powerful lines that have self-similarity. The whisking of frantic motion remains true to its form as melody and timing create a natural framework for the focus to continue upwards.


Topped with an instrumental version of the first number as an extra-special bonus, this long-reached album carries us through around 40 mins of intense and well-designed sound cartography. We're taken by the hand through landscapes and maps which shift our perceptions of what mixing breeds of electronic music can do.




You can find Mother Of Mars on Soundcloud


You can follow Mother Of Mars on Twitter


Find out more on Ransom Note Records

​Bryan Chapman
Ròta EP
EPM Music
TBR: 26th February


Stripped down energetic techno is the forte of Bryan Chapman. This first issue of 2021 for EPM sees the well-loved DJ follow up from last year's Danu. Known for abstract art, photography, and music production, Monotony label head Bryan Chapman taps into elemental forces while exploring his various outlets. Through a succession of EP releases, Chapman can be studied to reveal a sharpening and polishing of production techniques which have gradually formed a honed and established sound. Named after a Valkyrie from Norse Mythology, Ròta EP harnesses the poetic power of rain and storms.


Your Face Is Welcome Round Ear begins with a heady thump rhythm that clicks and bangs like a muted drum. Heavy bass plunges in twangy pulses that reverberate and swell within curated spaces. Crackling static rises with an onset of rampant drums which begin to surge through swift waves of pulsating synthesiser. Dancing energy with minimal input yet crusted with fizz and dusty distortion effects forms an updraught of hot and steamy pace. Jostling percussives swing and swoop as huge bass throbs sink further into the murky backdrop. Semblances of rhythm break and burst in layers of amplitude and angular momentum.


A tuneful rhythm breaks open for the next number. Melodic beats repeat in a growing amplitude that spreads out and grabs the horizon. Bass and tom flare through the dust as hats shake their tonal qualities. Simple and hypnotic, the rhythm pushes onward as synthesiser adds a layer of high pitched warbling. Intense sounds cling together as formula and energy dispel the silence with Kofan. A dancing momentum gathers pace which subtle shifts in focus. The repeating rhythmic burst loops over itself and with manicured mixing, complimentary beats and tones continually add a new dimension of surge.


A warbling bass churns like galloping horses as steady kick thrusts with its continual distorted energy. A rise in pressure seeps across the layers as dials adjust and gently push the levels up to higher numbers. Warrior Child builds as airy motion frames the rhythm like underground trains rumbling through tunnels, air is surged through the open spaces in low breathy whistles. A constant and firm grip with the repetitive rhythms dishes out clarity and momentum with dance rhythms and paced expression. The temperature continues to rise and as the effervescent mixture bubbles over, a new dimension of sound adds new containment for the flow.


It winds up with King Of Thogarma. Revolving beats join in with persistent kick drum as strange sounds spiral and swirl in 3D spaces. A heady surge lists into the wind as the momentum rises with adjustments of amplitude and gated tone. Distortion hums behind the churning atmosphere as thrashing beats dig and dive through mysterious niches and catacombs. New synthesiser begins to bubble up through the viscous liquid of sensation and form. Dreamy chunks of sawing velocity cut through in chunky sections. Stampeding bass rips across plains of tickle grass and windy dust patches. Is there rain on the horizon? It begins to trickle across the parched landscape from miles away, and the music leers onward towards its source.


You can listen to Bryan Chapman on Soundcloud


and Spotify


Buy music by Bryan Chapman on Bandcamp


Follow Bryan Chapman on Facebook


and Twitter


Find releases from EPM Music on Bandcamp


Find out more on the EPM Music Website

Masha Motive
The Imponderable Bloom
Voitax Records
TBR: 1st March


Now in their eighth year of music publishing, Voitax makes use of co-founding Masha Motive to kick off 2021. The German music producer has been instrumental in focussing the direction and sound of the label. Now, stepping out of the office, Masha Motive rejoins the studio crowd and releases his first label solo work. With a long stint of experimenting and practice behind him, and a clear direction that he helped to create, this iconic musician is taken up by one more level with this latest production.


On high pitched tones that warp in a downward scale, a bass edge is reached that suddenly thumps with drum. Kick and hats rumble in a groovy tempo, laid-back yet fizzing with energy. New tones emerge, deep and chesty groans alongside twisting scratches resound through chapters of steady bass and drum. New percussion is added, fills and rolls rapidly create rhythmic soundscapes which shimmer with ethereal and moody composition. Sweet Dripping Resin is a heady track, it glitches and breaks through abstract motions while continuing a sudden impulse to move.


Next is Artificial Fruit. This one builds gradually through radiance and glare as drums with unique sounds begin to churn and tumble like pebbles under waves. A bass then enters, taking the lead with a heavy kick. A staggered delivery breaks from the norm while maintaining a sense of dancing surge. Buzzing electronic bass then wobbles beneath in dubstep like swings of power. The bass continues like a thumping at the door, chest-beating tones wander through mysterious synthesiser drones and chimes which hang in the thick air like floating lanterns.


A quicker and resonant rhythm opens for the next number. Stereo beats scatter and chit-chat across huge horizons. Central bass continues to pound while a vocal sample breaks a phonic silence. The pushy rhythm takes hold and moves around in experimental jigs and outbursts on selected percussion. A revolving sensation ensues as each bar adjusts and pivots around a virtual kit of drums, beaters, and cymbals. Fast-moving energy streams from place to place, until a short interlude brings out a breathing sensation that curls in low end corridors and cellars. Cedar is multi-textured and holds an air of mystique as the fiery beats continue to spell progression.


A buzzing noise begins to form around more steady bass that rattles alongside other percussives. The melody is thick and full of variance, moving in stodgy footprints towards some upper limit. Vocals shudder through and odd angles of melodic projection branch like awkward trees. Leaning weight takes caution as the wet and loose underfoot shifts with spongy layering. The Imponderable Bloom part 1 is a misty and dark number. Thirsty beats crack and leap in nimble fractal patterns as a solid bass takes slow marching paces into the future.


The Imponderable Bloom part 2 begins and a huge buzzing chaos starts to make a random journey into the sonic landscape. A walkway of raised rocks and mounds of piled up intention guide a static infused progression through muddy and fertile walkways. New drums enter hand in hand with a strange winding tone which creeps and glistens on generous trajectories. Sludgy gurgles bounce from a silent injection before new synthetic and digital sound-waves peer over the impossible boundary.


You can find out more by visiting the Voitax Records website


The Imponderable Bloom by Masha Motive is available on Bandamp.

Sofia Bertomeu
Spices EP
TBR: 17th February


In Spain, Sofia Bertomeu is known for being a keen electronic music enthusiast and creative. Her stunning back-catalogue of material stretches back through dozens of titles right into 2015. This latest outing is a true star for the tree that no doubt will carry on growing. As a sound artist and contemporary musical director, Sofia Bertomeu brings concept and sonic sculpture together which manifest in churning and evocative experiences. The EP features works created during 2020 and the start of 21. It also makes use of fascinating sounds captured and used in the context of Sofia's Contact Dance Physical Theatre work in “El Juego”. Lucky listeners will still have time to get one of a limited run of a hundred CDs and everyone else can enjoy the quality download.


Track one is called Enero de 2021. It begins with wispy sounds that twist in gusty ribbons around a heartbeat bass. Ghostly piano then sprouts from the soft bedding like shoots of living clarity. A reverb leaves behind a haunting mist of echo within heartfelt chambers as static crackles among a whining pitch. A feedback-like sensation on a violin or something that resembles one gently dances over the building pressures of drum and melody. The simmering settles down and new percussion floats in to shift the energy into something more linear. The repeating piano phrases rework their crafting meander through the mix as interesting fills and beats mark a meditative yet sensual atmosphere.


A vocal breaks out of the boundary in meaningful tones of introspective forlornness. Gentle rhythms rattle from metallic ringers and bells which lap like waters against a choppy muted piano. Twinkling notes joyously trill on pivoting frames while slow and dreamy breath like backgrounds rise. Then, with a sudden jump, a bass kick drum is given a pedestal. A throbbing and intense push of surging dynamic gives in to the forward jolt of power. A heavy techno rhythm juxtapositions with mysterious and enchanting choral tacitness. This is Diciembre de 2020.


With warm and opaque tones that skim the surfaces of airy synthesiser and percussion, piano begins to wander in pacing motions. Abstract drumming and life-sounds mingle with siren like sonics and lines of spoken word. A sombre melody implodes with continual pressure in time measured sections of holographic dimension. A Fire Razed My Forest contains tension, clarity and confusion, inward thoughts that echo into the infinite beyond. Minimal melody plays out in spacious zones which shimmer between inner and extra conscious realms of intent.


Beauty Before The Fire opens with subtle vibrations and moody dapples in the subterranean piano score. Heavy bass notes dig huge waveforms in the soft undergrowth as fairystep like notes jig and dance on neat yet organic postures. Harmonising tones waver and wind with increasing form, fractal like energy spanning into branches of momentum reach beyond the previously described bars.


Next, a huge wave of retro blips begins to surge in 8-bit resolution. A throbbing drum bashes down with dirty beats while a filthy distortion builds underneath. A wholesome white-noise filters out with melodic intensity. Crisp edges and heavy decay ring through bubbling fizz that manifests as particulate beats and melody. Spices 2020 harmonises with crackle and fuzz while progressive composition reveals a frantic and edgy direction.


Probability calms down immediately. Wolf sounds mingle with moody melody as swings of chiming synthesiser comfort the sides. Wailing notes howl through mysterious imagery and rhythmic effects begin to build. Bells clamour and twisting electronics buzz as a solid foundation builds up into tall and strong dream towers. Enchanting and occulted composition reverberates through misty corridors and blurred lines.


The EP ends with a spoken word section that rumbles along choppy warmth and decay. Synthesiser blips and energy build-ups rise until a rhythm is found. Shuddering drums stitch the silence in neat lines as eerie and fascinating hums and drones squirm underneath. The spoken word builds through again, the relaxing yet tensile tones capture a feeling of urgent attention. On Love In The Epoch Of Late Capitalism features Fraser Burnett. It's hoped that love will help capitalism evolve to become sustainable and ethical by returning profit to the society it was generated from.


You can find out more by visiting Sofia Bertomeu online


and Follow Sofia Bertomeu on Facebook


Find music by Sofia Bertomeu on Bandcamp