Bear Bile, the Rivet’s sixth 12″, showcases the continued success of this ascetic approach.
kontra-musik
LWE Podcast 189: Fishermen
LWE called up Martin and Thomas bring us up to speed on their Fisherman project, who also compiled our 189th podcast: an hour of haunting, chord-heavy techno.
Jonsson / Alter, 2
2, Jonsson/Alter’s second full-length, is the conscious opposite of Mod — the result of a carefully planned studio campaign rather than a spontaneous huddle in Alter’s home studio.
Various Artists, Skum One
This inaugural release from Skudge and Kontra-Musik’s joint label, Skum, draws together two artists from each label, with predictably strong results.
Frak, Prisma
Prisma, Frak’s latest for Kontra-Musik, focus the group’s energy in a more stable direction, but it lacks the distilled power of the first EP.
Jonsson / Alter, For You
For You sees Jonsson/Alter exploring more linear territory than covered on their superlative 2011 album, Mod.
Jonsson / Alter, Mod Mixes
It’s no small feat finding remixers who could complement Jonsson/Alter’s delicate constructions, but Minilogue, Donato Dozzy, and Dorisburg manage to match their caliber on Mod Mixes
Frak, Triffid Gossip
It’s reasonable to assume Kontra-Musik are not simply trying to capitalize on Frak’s newfound renown, but Triffid Gossip is nevertheless every bit as striking as their recent LP.
Jonsson/Alter, Mod
Previous Jonsson/Alter releases offered a refined, flowing vision of deep house sounds entirely primed for a full-length, and with Mod they make good on that promise.
Mokira, Time Axis Manipulation Remixes
On this three-part 10″ series for Kontra-Musik, Mokira’s shift towards dubbed rhythms is ideally suited to being remixed by Silent Servant, Echospace, and Redshape.
Marcel Dettmann, Factory Report
Those expecting Marcel Dettmann’s Factory Report to be another industrial-flecked slab, should get ready for something else entirely.
Mass Prod, Deeply Cooked Music
Italian-born, Switzerland-based analog fetishist Mass Prod made the jump from net labels to pressed wax only recently, but he’s already caught the keen eye of Sweden’s Kontra-Musik, whose records I make a point of keeping tabs on. The catchy melody of “Focaccina,” the summery house track he’s delivered to the label, comes courtesy of a Moondog sample, while much of the credit for the track’s sunshine rhythms presumably falls on the 909 Mass Prod’s nicknamed “The Fox.” Relaxed, gently cheerful, and a bit deep, “Focaccina” is feel-good house and solid early-morning fodder. There’s some build late in the track — keyboards gathering around the sampled melody, and a hail of cymbal kicking up the intensity — but “Focaccina” maintains a light touch and a smooth flow, more interested in winning approving smiles than hands-in-the-air screams.