The debut EP release from Amduscias (the evil doppelganger of an already known producer) presents a selection of tracks woven with British folklore and occultist connotation taking the fringes of UK bass music into a dark twisted new pasture, bass and beats ready for the dancefloor but equally horrifying to the headphone listener - skewing techno and dubstep to its farthest reaches.
A1 - Message from home: This four track slice of loveliness kicks off with an uplifting jazz number. Delicate almost Hawaiian guitar sounds that pluck along with a more traditional guitar roll sample, blended together to create a wondrous summer beach vista. The percussion is vibrant and upward feeling; with crisp hats that evolve through the tune and Skippy drum patterns create a great groove. The addition of subtle synth sounds and sparingly used vox sample make this a great start to the EP.
A2 – Wild, Wild: is coming from a similarly deep and Balearic place. Drifty guitar riffs that sooth your soul, great percussive elements that bring a smile to you face. The use of sounds here is done with a sense of real quality, every sound has its defined place and the overall vibe on Wild has a live feel to it. For you spaced out Jazz house crew this one is for you.
B1 – Fight: takes us down a completely different road. The track has an early 90’s feeling as far as the governing atmosphere is concerned. With a beat structure follows tracks of that period with a breakbeat esc vibe, snappy but not over powering and the groove will make you sway. The looped vox sample that screams of the older Nervous Records tunes of the day, and really does capture this moment in time to perfection. Great little retro piece that will get your old rave legs out of retirement, and will have you remembering the good old parties of yesteryear (Man I’m getting old saying that ha ha).
B2 - Pressure Control: follows where Fight left off. Superb retroisms are in full flow with this weapon. Smooth breaks that warm the heart, great synth sounds that rise and fall through the tune. This really is proper and well thought out in its conception, and really does give a modern interpretation of the past glory days of old. The breakdown in the track is reflective and when the beats kick back in neck snapping will possibly occur.
Bakradze has managed to capture magical moments in time without getting the cheeseboard out. Great tracks from start to finish and a must have for any old school crew out there, do not miss this EP.
Since its inauguration in 2012, Space Hardware has acted as platform for promising producers and has undergone gradual metamorphosis with each 12” release - a process that has so far included the likes of Glenn Astro, Blacksmif and Placeholder.
Now - in its third year of operation Space Hardware presents a landmark release: the first full length album on the label which comes from young returning producer Bakradze. Hailing from Georgia, Bakradze is the other production guise of Gacha. Across each of these aliases he is a producer whose work has touched Apollo, 2nd Drop and his own imprint Transfigured Time. All the while he has remained an artist with a rare and sort-after coupling of instrumental flare and adroit studio skills.
A first for the label is also a first for the artist as this - his ‘Restless’ LP - is Bakradze first offering in LP format. It’s across this extended play time that he can comprehensively touch on his range of skills. The result varies from the beatific ‘An Evening With John’ and ‘I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone’ to the beautifully mournful ‘Dead Places’ and ‘Heart Asks’ whilst all the while remaining rich with texture, melodicism and soul.
In addition, the more stout and propulsive ‘Pool’ and ‘Closure’ round proceedings nicely in an album primed for home-listening as well as the soundtracking of many memorable after hours moments.
Bakradze’s ‘Restless’ is presented in a full cover sleeve - photography by Jason Evans and design by Jack Hardwicke.
‘Be Yōkai’ is the collaborative project from techno duo Minilogue’s Sebastian Mullaert , fellow swedish composer Douglas Holmquist and celebrated illustrator/animator Kristofer Ström . Uniting music with art and the moving pic ture, ‘Facefist’ leads a multimedia experience through a trio of mesmerising audio/visual trips - two films (‘Facefist’ and ‘Facemissed’) featuring Japanese anime-inspired shape-shifting creatures and a third more abstract, alternate vision/soundscape( ‘Facekissed’).Standalone track ‘Facetwist’ is a more propulsive version of leadtrack ‘Facefist’.This debut release will be landing as a rare treat from Hypercolour offshoot Space Hardware in October with a limited run of vinyl. Art flourishes when the freedom, flow and creativity intersect. Often a direct response to resistance, art transcends borders and the physical to allow transmission of the soul; emotion and consciousness. Be Yōkai , a collaborative project between three artists, represents these core values uniting music with art and the moving picture. At the convergent point between these three disciplines we find Be Yōkai, driven by rhythm and vibration, while delivering progressive, transcendent visual stimulation. In this free zone they flourish, as their art flows out of them without a hint of resistance. It’s the kind of freedom that many artists strive to achieve with no pressure, no deadlines and no strict briefs to uphold. The notion of trust, encouragement, confidence in one’s approach is what we find with Be Yōkai. All three men have known each other for over a decade, and worked closely together during that time on several occasions. This foundation keeps their relationship strong and provides a comfortable layer upon which they are building an intriguing project. Sebastian’s musical endeavours have taken him around the world, both as a solo practitioner and in the duo known as Minilogue, among other projects. Douglas, an accomplished composer for film animations, advertisements and video games, also makes club music. Kristofer is a world-renowned illustrator and animation specialist, also adept at making music . From the very beginning, the group have worked in an unplanned, natural, organic way, exchanging music and visuals with each member contributing to the progress of each track and accompanying video. It’s a project that acts as its own catalyst, as the three artists contribute their respective talents to the final product, bit by bit, without having a defined goal or target. All three men agree that Be Yōkai represents an organic, intermittent working process that is not bound by the constraints of future pressures. Eventually there is the hope of taking Be Yōkai to the stage, for a concert style performance with live instrumentation accompanied by Kristofer’s mind-boggling visuals.
DJ Support includes: FaltyDL, Om Unit, Tim Parker (NTS), Philip Sherburne, Truss, Rob Da Bank, Rockwell, The Cyclist, Zinc, Foul Play, Ryan Martelo (NTS), Dave Aju, Nightwave, Second Storey, Answer Code Request, Seven Davis Jr, 2 Bad Mice, Mark Archer.
