Sunlit
Circus

After his first album on BLESSYOU "Turquoise", Mogwaa aka Seungyoung Lee from Seoul is back with another stellar contribution this time re-visiting his earlier days of musical appreciation in Reggae music. This album is another entirely instrumental work with 8 tracks, effortlessly displaying his confidence in the studio when it comes to dreamy dubbed out ambient sounds intertwined with heavy digi/stepper and even dancehall influences. A refreshing treat to the ear when it comes to contemporary productions as Mogwaa approaches the Jamaican genre with a refined aesthetic of his own. From Korea with much craft and dedication for the music, a pleasure to have him back. Mastered at Manmade mastering.

For this sixth release we prepared something special and very close to our hearts. While digging deep into the obscurities of French House music a few years ago, a friend pointed us to a label, Labo Music which had just a few releases in its catalogue and was run by an artist called “Bo’”. Through a series of synchronistic events, we managed to get a hold of the very first 2 releases produced by Bo’ himself, and since that moment we got lovestruck with the music contained in those records. It was later Bo’ himself to tell us that the music in LABO001 and LABO002 was capturing a very special and delicate moment of his life, while he was going through personal challenges and changes, that took him into musical directions that he was not used to pursue. We don’t know what force he channelled with those sessions, but the music resonates so much with us, that we felt it should not be heard just by a few lucky ones and thus decided to pick our favourite tracks and reissue them on OCD.

Nearly 10 years on since his last solo LP, Berlin techno icon Marcel Dettmann arrives on Dekmantel with an expansive album captured in a flash of inspiration.In many ways Fear Of Programming is a reflection on the artistic process – the critical hurdles one has to overcome, the constant strive for originality, the ability to capture inspiration in its pure moment of inception. Bar the closing title track (and we all know Marcel loves a surprise closing), these 13 tracks came together during a period in which our hirsute host was able to immerse himself in studio practice and set the intention to record an album’s worth of material every single day. From the resulting mass of work there were many options to choose from, and Fear Of Programming stood out as one of the most complete statements on Dettmann’s approach in the here and now.Unconcerned with an overarching concept, it was the work in the studio which drove the musical direction. No labouring over knotty arrangements, no painstaking mix downs – just honest expression, a moment caught, a groove locked, a stroke of synth sent pirouetting over a cavernous bed of texture. The results are varied, and while you might well hear plenty of bruising machinations in line with the techno Dettmann has made his name on, there are plenty of other shades expressed across the album.Ambient sojourns, beatless epics and angular electronica have equal footing with strident, floor-friendly workouts. Standout piece ‘Water’ offers an icy ballet of swinging minimal and drip-drop melodics fronted by Ryan Elliott on lesser-spotted vocal duties, urging, ‘give me a sign, just a little something to let me know that you’re mine’. It’s playful, but still underpinned with the sincerity that comes with Dettmann’s work.Running on instinct, Dettmann presents an honest version of himself in the here and now, speaking through the sonics and not over-thinking the results. His decades of experience helming a thousand techno parties speak for themselves, while his evolution as a musical entity through collaboration and his own BAD MANNERS label demonstrate his appetite for change. Indeed, the working method which resulted in the album also spurred him on to create a live set beyond his well-established DJ practice. Without resorting to a conceited overhaul, Fear Of Programming opens up the idea of what Dettmann represents in the modern techno landscape.

Celebrating the interconnected strands of head-tripping hypnotic sounds, new age electronica and early/late 90s progressive house/trance, Rambal Cochet arrives on this EP, built to elevate the dance floors.Since emerging in the scene, Rambal Cochet has ably demonstrated his instinct for different approaches, whether exploring expansive sonic palettes or holding down stages where he has performed. Throughout his career, this DJ, producer and versatil music curator, turned his capable hand into a truly immersive listening experience.Dolphin’s Dance is an uplifting music journey, with a flavour of the good old prog sound and a dreamy atmosphere. The narrative flow in Twisted Reality and Virtual Nightmare use contrasting ecosystems to glide through distinctive spaces, unfolding with darker vibes infused with style sounds, as in Yello’s 90’s album “Pocket Universe”. At times the effect is nostalgic, calling to mind pulsating rhythms, bass lines and hypnotic melodies.Rambal Cochet shows again an exceptional talent for producing high-level dance music. An exquisite—3 rhythmic and stimulating club jams to be savoured and absorbed in ALZ05.