Audio Love 22.5.14

 
Music

Hot luvvin' incoming from the man like Europe… and that prick Wil with a few of his nonchalant one-liners again. Well done, you've actually decided to grace us this time Mr Troup…

Stump Valley – Hollywood EP (Off Minor)

It seems that Jordan GZK’s Off Minor Records are picking up some pace this year as they’ve only just dropped the ZSA Gang release and now they’re ready to unleash this debut EP from Stump Valley. So is it any good? Well yes but you already knew that because I wouldn’t be writing about it if it wasn’t. 

Listening to this 4 tracker it’s hard to believe that it’s the first EP from Stump Valley and so I’m presuming they’re already releasing under different aliases (no info on this though) as it’s quite a refined, accomplished and diverse record.  We kick off with “Hollywood” which is a slow, warm, innocent sounding house track that has that sweet/melancholic thing going on. Next up “DS 23 Pallas” is an altogether moodier excursion. Lovely, exquisitely produced, deep house music. All good so far but it’s when we get onto the B Side that things get really interesting for me. “The Black Tulip” is a slow, percussive, psych monster with shit loads of atmosphere and finally “Metropolis” is an abstract, chuggy industrial monster. 
Out in a couple of weeks on wax

Bobby B – History/So True (Icee Hot) 

The party/label from San Fran are all set to drop their next 12” and it’s more than worth checking out. This time around it’s Bobby B with two very strong tracks of deep but chunky house music. “History” is a pensive number, with a sultry Rhodes chord in the background and some tasteful little vocal chops here and there (and some rather less sultry screeching distorted percussion over the top which for me is a nice touch). “So True” centres around a broken, highly swung and nicely distorted beat and a really lovely string. 
In addition to the two original tracks there are a brace of remixes, with John Talabot stepping up to reinterpret “ So True” and Ghosts on Tape tackling “History”. Both are nicely diverse takes on the tracks but, for me, it’s the originals that rock it. 
Out on the 27th May on wax

Coyote – Socrates EP (Rothmans Music) 

Rothmans music seem to be very keen on pictures of shaggy haired, manly looking footballers from the 1970s and 80s. This is absolutely fine. They also seem to be very keen on slow, weird, infectious, danceable, and generally ruddy marvellous retro electronic music. This is also absolutely fine. 

They’ve recently dropped the Passing Memories EP by Coyote and it’s very very good. We’ve got two original tracks by Coyote (Passing Memories and Act Like you Know) and then Mark E and Ste Spandex stepping in to remix them both. We’re talking slow, italo influenced, electronic dancefloor goodness all the way. 
Out now  wax only

The Black Dog – The Sound of Sheffield Vol 2 (Dust Science) 

Sheffield’s finest techno outfit are ready for the second instalment of their love song to their post-industrial home town. Three tracks of chunky, dancefloor techno of the highest order. The three tracker delivers exactly what the mantra of Dust Science promises, “Northern Electronic Soul”. Out of the three tracks here “Bardwell’s Disaster (live at Panorama Bar” is going to get the most play from me but they’re all quality. 

Out 26th May – digi-only

Wil's One-Liners is back… oh joy! 

Stratus – Mirrors EP – Fragments

Not heard owt from Stratus for a while… this is a cracker of an EP with Mirrors taking our slo mo crown of the week… well mine! 

Faze Action – Prisoner of Your Love (An Eric Dunks Duncan Remix)

Great, great remix Mr Eric Duncan of Faze Action's new one…

Fkclub & Morgan Hammer – Godspeed EP –  Astro Lab recordings

Ooops… missed this one. Cracking release from rising starlet (what a shitty phrase Wil) Morgan Hammer with FKClub. Floaty, doof-doof, goodness.