Freeze takes over Liverpool’s Bombed Out Church this month for a party featuring Gerd ‘Nicest Guy In Dance’ Janson
Despite festival season getting underway, this month Getintothis’ resident club writer and advocate of watching sunrise, Martin Guttridge-Hewitt, is thinking about club nights and new release bombs.
The view out of the window this week hasn’t been particularly pleasant, with biblical rainfall, biting winds and a universal look of malaise on every passing face. Granted, it’s not that bad when you’re sitting inside drinking hot tea with a plateful of Hobnobs to hand, but nor does it really scream ‘Festival season is here’.
Nevertheless, Britain’s outdoor sessions have well and truly begun, with both Liverpool and Bristol already having hosted two of the country’s most respected urban shindigs in the last two weeks (that’ll be Sound City and Love Saves The Day, if you didn’t notice). For the next three months, then, there’s more chance of finding yourself in a field or park on any given Saturday than ASDA, but as June’s electronic music releases go to show, that’s not stopping labels and producers from pushing out quality new singles, EPs and albums too. The word relentless comes to mind, albeit we’re not complaining too much given how good some of the sounds actually are. For evidence, keep reading.
DJ Cam: Miami Vice
Pegged as the producer living out his own personal dream (or something along those lines), the return of DJ Cam – master of off key piano instrumental hip hop – has decided to create a soundtrack to some imagined version of Miami Vice, and it’s not half bad. Think sleazy, slick and sweaty downtempo numbers that invoke images of cruising down Ocean Drive with the top down. Not that we actually know what that really feels like. There’s even an Earl Davis take on Phil Collins‘ In The Air Tonight, which works pretty damn well. Available from June 5.
J.C.: Portrait of the Flying Sky
From that lackadaisical joint to something much more driving, Spanish producer J.C.‘s debut album, which lands on Fred P‘s Boards imprint on June 5. A refined but raw collection of deep techno workouts that don’t forsake energy, despite being hypnotic and extraordinarily detailed, anyone who gets scared when the BPMs tip 130 should probably move on and never look back. If, on the other hand, you appreciate words like ‘proper’ and ‘solid’, then this one is definitely worth a check.
John Beltran: Espais
There’s little to say about Beltran‘s latest adventure in ambience, other than the fact it’s beautiful and should suit Ben Lukas Boysen‘s disciples. The producer’s old contributions to Detroit techno are incredible, but recent years have seen him create countless beatless wonders, and Espais is another. At time it feels edgy, mechanical and anything but human, in other moments it boasts the kind of delicate, emotive piano work fans of Gnac will be happy with. It’s out on June 15, so get involved.
Satoshi Tomiie: New Day
It’s been two and a half decades since Satoshi Tomiie unveiled his debut, Tears, and over 15-years since his progressive-era anthems Love In Traffic and Up In Flames were getting dropped across the world. Who knows (and who really cares) what he’s been doing in between then and now – presumably trying to figure out how to follow his early successes up. New Day is his difficult second, arriving June 22, and is a far more slo-mo, electro-tinged cosmic disco affair. Talk about growing up.
Satoshi Tomiie – new album ”New Day” from am-standard on Vimeo.
High Risk: High Risk
Finally, rounding off our month of long form recommendations, on June 23 we have an offering that defines what experimental electronic jazz should probably sound like. High Risk was born out of a Red Bull Music Academy improv session, and represents the efforts of esteemed composer Dave Douglas, studio whizz Shigeto, drummer Mark Guiliana, and Groove Collective founding member and bassist Jonathan Maron. No embeds for this one, unfortunately, but take our word for it, these cats can wail (or whatever you’re supposed to say).
Pris: For A Better Understanding
Pris is, to quote a phrase we’ve all probably heard, “well good”, and his new triple-header on the Resin label he heads up is certainly no exception to that rule. Each episode here focuses on a basic noise and minimal drum beat, but explores the hypnotic qualities that can be found therein, ranging from the bleep Dodeca to the ferocity of Devil In The Details, and its commanding omnipresent snare rolls. Top, muscular stuff to buy from June 1.
Wayne Snow: Rosie EP
If you have a penchant for early-Jamie Lidell, How To Dress Well and similarly distorted funk-R&B efforts, then Wayne Snow, who shot to some degree of fame with an appearance on Max Graef‘s 2014 debut album, is probably someone you should get to know. A fantastic five track EP of scuzzy, head-nodding summertime vibes – all situated left of the main playing field – is what you can expect from this one. What better way to kick start the first month of proper warm weather?
John Heckle: Wet Noises
Merseyside’s own John Heckle has spent the last few years garnering a sterling reputation for making people dance like bewitched weirdos, and on his latest, appropriately-titled EP the producer looks set to continue doing just that. Acid-tipped, staccato monster would be the best way to describe the eponymous tune, with a further two tracks and a remix of the titler also impressing – not least the broken rhythms and subtle euphoria of Frozen Planet. The package arrives on June 8, and we definitely suggest grabbing a copy.
Vince Watson: Archives Volume 1: Fragments of Machine Soul
A mouthful of a title, irrespective of whether you agree with the choice of name Vince Watson always deserves attention. Archives Volume 1 is a six track bad boy of space-age melodies, compelling rhythms and immersive soundscapes that work just as well at home, or through headphones, as they would being played in the middle of some serious dancefloor set, and as such you should probably keep June 8 in mind.
Velvit: Be So Cruel
On June 22 alt-drum ‘n’ bass don D-Bridge puts on his Velvit mask for a first appearance on the 17 Steps label – which recently saw cuts from the likes of Dusky sell rather well. In this instance we’re talking about a strange hinterland between the soulful toy box techno of Be So Cruel (a combination that’s nowhere near as jarring as it sounds), and dubby smoothness on No Excuses, and South of Your Soul‘s stripped, spatial broken R&B soul.
Jeff Mills: Exhibitionist Part 2 – Samplers 1 and 2
When ‘Millsy’ unveiled his first Exhibitionist video it was one of the first times the craftsmanship and technical prowess of a techno performance had been captured on film. A jaw-dropping display of skills, the Detroit legend hasn’t changed much since then, other than to add another load of gadgets and toys to his DJ booth, which is exactly why a sequel is now impending. These samplers contain some of the best moments from said follow up, cut into individual ‘tunes’ so you can mess about with them for years to come once they arrive on June 29.
***Top Five North West Events***
*Rhythm Theory at Soup Kitchen – Friday June 12, £10
Rhythm Theory have appeared in this column before and for very good reason; they know how to throw a very good party. This time round they have the man like Norman Nodge in charge, and you can expect the Berghain resident and all-round Berlin secret weapon to step up and deliver. In our experience, he always does.
*Closing Party at Sankeys – Friday June 12, £15
Remember when clubs stayed open throughout summer, despite half the UK population ‘aving it in ‘Beefa? We do. Dismay at the state of things aside, Sankeys bows out for a couple of months, with action moving to The White Island, and have called in Soul Clap, Wolf + Lamb, and Life On Planets prepare them for the flight.
*Freeze at The Bombed Out Church – Saturday June 13, SOLD OUT
Is it worth previewing an event that has run dry on tickets? We think so, given the fact Freeze are putting on another of their all day soirees, in this instance featuring Running Back honcho Gerd Janson (easily one of the most entertaining house jocks on the circuit), cosmic disco don Todd Terje, Prins Thomas, and Greg Wilson.
*Selective Hearing and Love Dose at Secret Venue – Friday June 19, £15
Mighty Manc-Leeds crew Selective Hearing team up with Love Dose for another ‘we’re not telling’ bash, and have roped in a quality entourage of players at the deeper end of the spectrum to provide a soundtrack. That would be Juju and Jordash, DJ Qu, and Seelie, amongst others- oh, and it goes on for ten hours.
*Late Night Tuff Guy at Constellations – Friday June 26, £6
Another mammoth session, this one lasting no less than 12 hours, and featuring Late Night Tuff Guy, who, if you don’t know, has made a name for himself by delivering varied sets that veer between everything from disco and house to pop, with advocates coming in the form of Heidi, Jackmaster and Dimitri From Paris.
