Will BoyleWelcome to ‘New Flavour’ a bi-weekly segment aimed at bringing you music, both local and international, that you may have missed but need to hear.
Since the beginning of lockdown we’ve seen a massive surge in production quality across the board with producers worldwide having more time to knuckle down and hone their skills – no doubt this is showing locally with many artists finding their stride in the last few months and already established artists upping the anti to stay afloat.
We kick off this edition of ‘New Flavour’ with an all Irish breakfast, as Will Boyle talks you through some of the best upcoming releases that you’ll definitely want in your bag!
Born and bred on Crow Street inside the walls of All City, FSL returns once again with a killer 3 track number from Ellen King. After her ‘Febreeze’ EP landed on the shelves in 2019 and solidified ELLLL as a producer with an incomparable sound, I’ve found myself being increasingly impressed by the intricate blend of ambience, hard drums and breaky goodness she delivers release, after release and it’s safe to say ‘Housebreaker’ doesn’t fall short of this legacy.
The title track comes in hot with a unique modern take on breaky hardcore while on the flip side, the ‘Alantis Dub’ remix does exactly what it says on the tin and takes the listener on a dubby journey with an interesting mix of dark sounds throughout. Last but not least, the ‘Parris’ Slo’ Motion Remix’ ends out this record with an interesting down-tempo twist on the original track that left me wanting more. ‘Housebreaker’ is a pleasure from A to B and ELLLL has hit the nail on the head once again adding to one of the strongest catalogues to come out of Ireland.
FSL011 is available February 5th. You can purchase the release via Bandcamp here.
Next up, Cailín – a producer that needs no introduction here, as she steps up to the mark for the first release on the new techno orientated All City sub label ‘Gurriers’. The Waterford native has made herself known as one of Irelands most respected DJs in recent years with one of the best techno collections around; it comes as no surprise her debut solo 4 track EP comes in hot and heavy.
The sampler teases a blend of raw analogue sounds, acid lines and intricate rolling percussion that all breathe club energy from the first play. A2 – ‘Dickheads’ a club ready acid pumper, is available to stream now via Bandcamp and the full record is available now for pre-order on 12” vinyl or digital. Cailin once again proves her name as one of Irelands best with this release that I for one, cannot wait to have in my bag.
‘Phantom Love Affair’ is available February 15th. You can purchase the release via Bandcamp here.
One of my favourite production pairings of last year makes a return with their first project of the year, as ‘Volts’ is set to release on Sunil Sharpe’s notorious ‘Earwiggle’ label later this week. Imogen previously featured on Earwiggle’s ‘Eel Behaviour’ series with her track ‘Flesh’, a dark percussive dance floor heater that set the bar high, but needless to say the sampler previews for ‘Volts’ live up to the hype. B2 – ‘Misjudgement Day’, an acidic electro thumper, and is currently the only track available for full preview, courtesy of Hypnotic Groove’s premiere late last month, but it sets the tone perfectly for this release and personally I have had it on repeat since it went live.
The full project is available now for pre-order on 12” pink vinyl or digitally via Earwiggle’s Bandcamp. Imogen & Ben Pest are a pairing I could get very used to.
‘Volts’ is available February 5th. You can purchase the release via Bandcamp here.
A man that has become no stranger to the techno frontline in Dublin over the last few years, Aero pulls through yet again with another solo project – this time a 3 track EP on French label ‘Fever Recordings’. Max has made himself known as one of the hardest working local producers and it hasn’t gone unnoticed, with names like ‘The Brvtalist’, ‘MOTZ’, ‘Nova Future’, ‘D.A.V.E The Drummer’ and more supporting his work. The ‘Human Error’ resident also known for his ‘Patrice & Evra’ endeavours alongside Dylan Forbes, has knocked the ball out of the park with this project, delivering 3 percussively driven belters, with hints of hardcore and hypnotic inspiration throughout. This is a release no one should sleep on. All tracks are available now to stream on SoundCloud.
‘Trapped’ is available February 8th. You can purchase the release via BandCamp here.
‘Utopia’ bossman, Billy Spike Illand has been hard at work since the clubs shut up shop early last year, with a regular stream of solo works getting support locally and internationally. Billy has built an impressive back catalogue of club ready, dark hypnotic techno tracks on labels and platforms including; ‘Alien Sound Trax’ and ‘Common Sense Records’ as well as a solo release premiered late last year via our SoundCloud page.
This month marks the release of Billy’s contribution to French Label ‘Black Line Recording’s’ 23 track V/A entitled ‘Industrial Vol.2’, with his track ‘Platform’, a synth driven rolling techno number with a raw modular feel. The consistent high level of production we’ve heard from Billy in the last year has separated him from the crowd and marked him as one to watch in the coming months. ‘Platform’ and the rest of ‘Industrial Vol.2’ is available now via Bandcamp and Spotify.
Industrial Vol.2 is out now. You can purchase the release via BandCamp here.