Will BoyleWelcome back to ‘New Flavour’ our weekly segment aimed at bringing you music, both local and international, that you may have missed but need to hear.
What initially started as a bi-weekly feature has quickly and instantly turned into a weekly feature, because there’s simply not enough days in the week. If you didn’t catch the last edition, featuring new music from – Prozak, Stuart Cremin, Pagan, Mode_1 and DeFeKT you can catch up here.
So, let’s get this weeks New Flavour underway, as Will Boyle talks you through some of the best upcoming releases that you’ll definitely want in your bag!
RIOT CODE – Tripwire EP [CRS003]
One of Irelands fastest growing and most accredited duos ‘RIOT CODE’ return once again with a cut throat 4 track EP on Scottish label ‘Carouse’. Over the course of the last year we’ve witnessed this pairing smash expectations out of the park with almost everything and anything they touch, needless to say Tripwire is no exception to the pattern.
With 3 original rough n’ ready belters and a remix from Dublin’s own Bunkerterror on the flip – this EP has shaped up to be their biggest body of work to date. The record leads with the title track ‘Tripwire’, a rolling industrial slammer that features an immaculate blend of punchy percussion and rave stabs leading us to A2 ‘The Chains’, a synth driven hardcore number with hints of rave, acid, breaks and ambient pads throughout, concluding our A side listening experience on a high. The ‘B’ takes a darker turn with ‘No Witnesses, an evil take on the sounds of industrial techno before the record comes to a halt with Bunkerterror’s rendition of the same track, that as can be expected, breathes distorted, crunching energy through the veins of the original.
The ‘Tripwire’ EP has already received deserving support from some of the biggest names in the game, including – SPFDJ, Nico Moreno and Jacidorex to name but a few as RIOT CODE continue their reign of terror. As 2021 shapes up to be a massive year for the duo, I have had the pleasure of listening to some of their forthcoming works, including a massive contribution to the iconic New York based imprint ‘HOMAGE’ and I promise you the best is yet to come. The ‘Tripwire EP’ hits the shelves on the 19th and will be available to buy digitally or on 12” vinyl.
Pre-order the release here.
Gene Tellem – Mind Reader EP [WOLF Music]
After her excellent contribution to the label in 2018, Montreal’s Gene Tellem returns to the ‘WOLF Music’ imprint as Mixmag premiere the first track from her upcoming ‘Mind Reader’ EP. I contacted Jeanne when I stumbled across her work earlier this week after leaving my SoundCloud stream on shuffle and instantly falling in love with her back catalogue, I’ve since had the pleasure of listening to the 4 track EP in its entirety ahead of next weeks release.
The needle drops straight into the groove with A1 ‘Aint Got Everything’ a deeply hypnotising house track filled with beautifully programmed percussion, seductive vocals and rolling emotion packed synth lines that lead perfectly into the title track ‘Mind Reader’ an equally emotional, plucky pleasure with hints of 2 step percussion and captivating piano chords. The flip side leads with Jenifa Mayanja’s take on ‘Aint Got Everything’ that took me on a synth driven, experimental journey that I wanted to re-live twice over. Last but certainly not least, the EP ends with ‘2nd Time Round’, a stripped backed beauty, charged with everything from acid lines to mesmerizing pads, concluding this masterpiece on a perfect note. ‘Mind Reader’ is truly a work of art that everyone needs to hear. For now, ‘Aint Got Everything’ is the only track available to listen in full, courtesy of Mixmag – however the full EP is available for pre-order now on 12” vinyl via Phonica Records amongst other major vinyl distributors.
Pre-order the release here.
Tom VR – Fast Track To Bliss EP [INTGRD007]
Following his contribution to the ‘Orbitration’ 4 track V/A that released on Midland’s ‘Intergraded’ label in 2019, Tom VR returns to the Graded sub label, this time with a solo 4 track EP unlike any sound we’ve heard from him previously. Having managed to slip my radar upon its release earlier this month, I was pleasantly surprised when this landed at my feet last week, courtesy of Spotify’s algorithm and needless to say I got stuck straight in. Leading with the title track, immediately immersing the listener in lush harmonies accompanied by broken, punchy kicks, followed by ‘Club Forgiveness’, an energetic, club ready groove that breathes euphoria. ‘Ikquion Lovers’, a breaky concoction of infatuating vocals and gripping basslines all pointing to the final track, ‘VCF Freq’ (my personal favourite) an obscure blend of, breakbeats and two-step that cut perfectly through a tasteful rolling bassline. I’m always impressed by the releases on ‘Graded’ and its relevant sub-labels and unsurprisingly Tom VR doesn’t fall short of this legacy with ‘Fast Track To Bliss’. The project is available to listen in full on all major streaming platforms or to buy digitally on Bandcamp (unfortunately the vinyl has sold out since its release).
Purchase digitally here.
Israel Vines & Ken Meier – Convex Reality [DTH]
‘Standards & Practices’ label co-head Ken Meier joins forces with Israel Vines for their contribution to the forthcoming ‘Don’t Trust Humans’ V/A compilation. This pairing landed on my radar in September of last year after I heard a remix of an Altstadt Echo track on ‘Modern Cathedrals’ ‘Sacred Sevens’ series and I’ve been looking forward to hearing more ever since. I knew very little about the ‘Don’t Trust Humans’ label, but after starting to dig further I found myself a few hours deep into an impressively vast, genre-broad archive of mixes and tracks to enjoy. ‘Convex Reality’ is an intricately eery techno number loaded with pounding subs, punchy kicks, dark synthesis and experimental percussion all combined to make it beautifully obscure. The full V/A is set to release next Thursday and features tracks from Assembler Code, Sound Synthesis and Floating Sea amongst others. For the little work they’ve released together, I’ve grown quite fond of this pairing and look forward to hearing future collaborations.
A Small Tribute To The Late & Great Andrew Weatherall
As felt more than fitting, the last feature in this weeks article remembers one of the greatest minds that ever blessed the music industry, Mr. Andrew Weatherall, who sadly passed away this time last year. This track needs no description and no description would do it justice – timelessly iconic. Sit back, play it loud and remember a hero who’s legacy will never die. Fail We May, Sail We Must. Rest In Peace, thanks for all the beautiful music and memories.