Trance 14 Items

Emmanuel Top's Attack Records stands as a milestone in the 1990s techno-acid scene. The French producer pioneered a unique sound that continues to resonate today. Tracks like "Turkish Bazar" and "Acid Phase" remain iconic, even considered among the best techno productions of the 90s. Thirty years after their original release, all the key tracks by Emmanuel Top on his own Attack Records return to vinyl, remastered in a 5 x 12" boxset.

For its second release, System of Objects is proud to welcome another British artist: Graham Dowdal aka Gagarin and his debut eponymous album. This 90s ambient techno hidden gem was released as a CD on Graham’s own imprint, Geo Records, in 1997. The album is on par with the genre’s masterpieces such as Sun Electric, Sandoz and Locust, and truly showcases Gagarin ingenious work. Here he explores a wide range of tempos from dark trance-infused techno to melodic ambient bliss, and lush intricate downtempo to intelligent extraterrestrial jungle. This is really a one of a kind discovery, albums like this don’t pop up every day.

A group of friends go sailing and one disappears. The others start
searching for her. But it gradually becomes apparent that she won’t
be found. So the friends return home one by one. Only the missing
girl’s lover and her best friend remain.They have begun an affair.
As the lovers come together the girl’s disappearance is all but
forgotten.

From Michelangelo Antonioni — “Auteur of eerie angst”
(L’Avventura) by Richard Skinner from Vade Mecum Essays,
Reviews & Interviews (Zero books, 2015).

Danny Corten and Youri Parker head up our next 12” vinyl adventure on Bonzai Records with a duo of pumping tracks to get the floors rocking on Love Is An Ocean. Danny Corten aka Danny C is a Belgian DJ and producer with a plethora of releases under various labels. He and Youri have been collaborating in the studio for many Years, and he formed part of the Cherry Moon Trax collective. His DJ skills took him all over the world, performing in top spots with top rated DJ’s. Producing music has been somewhat of a success for Danny, his track, I Want You, climbed high in the Belgian charts with the follow-up, In My Mind, soared in the French charts. His tracks have also gained solid support amongst his peers, and he continues to churn out only the finest quality sounds. Youri Parker was influenced by the early 90’s rave and house music sounds. He started to spin vinyl in 1992 and soon after he gained a residency in the legendary Cherry Moon club, where he would stay for over a decade. During this time, he spun alongside some of the world’s most famous jocks and he also joined the mighty Cherry Moon Trax, which consisted of some of the biggest names in Belgium. He has produced a raft of track with many different artists, most of which got picked up and championed by the likes of Carl Cox, Tiesto, Sven Vath, Jeff Mills and more.

Love Is An Ocean gets the floor moving right from the off as heavy beats, spritely percussions and teasing acid flavours lay the foundation. The track builds nicely alongside ethereal vox and airy pads before a mighty, gritty synth line takes control for the duration. Pure pumping adrenaline that does not disappoint. First released in 2020, Reactivate proved popular and so getting cut to vinyl was a no-brainer. The track dishes out an upfront groove filled with energy and drive, with the intro boasting classic rave stabs and a teasing, underlying 303 lines. A short build up takes us to thumping kicks which ramp up the energy levels to critical mass. The main break imposes an infectious hook which, when coupled with the kick drums, unleashes a pounding groove straight to the pleasure receptors. The track oozes retro charm with a contemporary structure, something that will delight the crowds no doubt.

Double vinyl-pack accompanying the new Planisphere cd on Bonzai incl. 5 remastered originals + brand new material.

Hey world, what happened?

Well anyway, Touch From A Distance is still here. Scratching our heads in awe of the ever-changing standstill of the past three years, we managed to get the ball rolling again with the help of Melbourne brothers extraordinaire Donald's House who have honed their skills during lockdown downunder to achieve the impossible: They got even better while pivoting towards a slightly different sound: Determined and muscular, yet trippy and playful. Juggling classic Acid and Progressive House tropes coupled with their prowess for perfectly balanced arrangements and catchy melodies, both „Bassian Plain“ and „The Isthmus Of Kra“ epitomise Pete's and Jim's peak time powers to fullest. The same goes for Alex Kassian's remix of „Bassian Plain“. Like Donald's House, Alex has been a core member of the Touch From A Distance family as one half of Opal Sunn from the start. He used the reset brought on by the pandemic to establish himself as one of the fastest rising stars of today's nightlife striking home with a slew of hit remixes and inspiring dj sets all over the world (keep your eyes peeled for a meeting of DH and AK in Australia soon).

Hot on the heels of last year's Dear Diary EP on Lobster Theremin, explosive performances on HÖR and an intimate interview with celebrated German publication Groove Magazine, frequent Berlin & Leipzig DJ Narciss comes through with four deep and groovy cuts of bass-driven techno.

‘Feather Boa Constrictor’ features one of Copenhagen’s most exciting emerging producers in recent years - Vixen - fresh off her own acclaimed release, Hard Magik For Soft Souls, on Lobster Theremin in December. Now the pair link up on the DJ Mag Breakthrough Label of the Year imprint that blends all the best elements of the Berlin and Copenhagen scenes in a high-speed trip through psy-trance, synth-wave and techno.

Narciss is on his ones as we enter the A2; ‘Lovechild (Outrun Mix)’ is aptly named with its reference to the 1986 arcade game Outrun, which featured some of the best video-game music to ever be created. Deep basslines, swirling synth-stabs and a soothing deepness and contemplativeness that can only come with driving a virtual car down a never-ending highway.

‘Tokyo’ makes use of polyrhythms and textures blended with what sounds like an old Sampha record. It’s a wonderful combination of dark, deep and forward-thinking sound, before Copenhagen producer Repro comes through with a typically EBM-focused remix combining elements of every track.

Ukrainian label Trance Pandemic continues to evolve, in this issue we have full black and white cover designed by Dima Phase. This EP is a split of goa trance-house from Kurilo and Rolands acids and drum machines from Komponente. The sound is suitable for loud raves and secret afterparties. Mastering by the legendary Lapucci at Burbidub studio as always, made the sound even more beautiful. Copies limited.

Spray retires the eponymously, to instead seek Punctuality; a new label for ‘dastard club elegies in the dark’ hosted by the maestro himself. Blu:sh clocks in to provide the imprint’s inaugural extended player with U is for U and me, a pentagonal suite of nocturnal seductions for ‘U’, our dear listener, from ‘he’, its rosy-cheeked conductor.

B is for Blu:sh (sometimes Benoit B and Terra Utopia), a froward node in the artist’s trilateral soul whose previous charm offensives for Roza Terenzi’s Step Ball Chain and Rey Colino’s Kalahari Oyster Cult under the alias signalled the arrival of a new challenger to the ‘hits parade’. U is for U and me provides distinct variations on the theme of ‘club allure’, five tracks of sparkling body music that captivate in its relentless drive for kinetic salvation.

“A quick glance at the watch, and they’re off!”
AM PM strikes first more night than day, its throbbing bass line locks shoulders with precision rhythms within its psychedelic landscape. Whirlwind Mindsets is sassier, opting for more bump while the track’s aural mesh is grazed by sharp textures of live wires and melodious bleeps.

“... and they get back under way!” Magnetized Your Soul soundtracks the self-actualisation of sonic sophistication, applying the rave pressure with a current of discordant pads and haunted vocals bound by twisted attraction. Pixelated Pleasure Dome is pure sleaze, a wiggle-fested romp of leering subs and thunderous groove of pure self indulgence. High In Cloud City offers the finale of heads-down speedy exuberance with faint breaks and non-stomp pump right up until curtain call.

Written & Produced By Blu:sh
Mastering & Cut: Marco Pellegrino Distributor: One Eye Witness Artwork: Lucia Dominguez Release Text: Nevan Jio

Hale Bopp 2021 Remixes part 1

On May 20th On Rotation returns for their first VA release - Genetic Memories Vol. 1. Anderson opens the release with the mystical ‘Polymorphic Magic’ - a low-slung builder combining deep synths with sampled instrumentation.
“I’m a huge fan of self resonating / overtone instruments so using the Fujara was a no brainer. A naturally psychedelic sounding instrument, I wanted to accompany the flutey pipe with a deeper and low-mid tempo chug.” - Anderson. Next up is Musty Head Records main man Jamie Leather - combining the tight drums and skilful melodic work of his previous releases with all the influences we love, ‘Discovery’ is sure to get any party going. Leading the B-Side of the record is Ed Hodge's ‘Atreides’ - a tough yet playful banger drawing influences from across the spectrum of UK music. Gun fingers guaranteed! “It’s probably the fastest, rowdiest track I’ve made under the Ed Hodge moniker and pulls influences from house, trance and speed garage.” - Ed Closing the release, we speed things up and travel deep into the past with Phazma's ‘Arrakeen’. Featuring ethereal synths, driving rhythms and beefy low end, this floaty number works just as well at home as in the club - a perfect way to round off the EP!
“After some help from my musical peers and some heavy inspiration from the release of the new Dune movie, I managed to come up with something that I’m pretty stoked with!.” - Phazma

Reissue of this trance classic from 1996, remastered for 2021!

For the second journey on ´Future Romance´ the french DJ and producer duo ´Esoteric Circle´ from Paris are delivering 2 masterpieces of melodic house & techno music. The two brothers bring their emotions together in a new innovative style, focussing on elaborating synth melodies and minimal percussive sounds, full of energy. As remixer for this brilliant release we could win the renowned italian duo ´Hunter/Game´, wellknown for their successful releases on labels like Kompakt, Afterlife or Lnoe, just to name a few.