FSG Live

I've been a big fan of Forward Strategy Groups Records for a good while now, ever since I was given Smear's first 12" to review back in the Skinny days. They've sold out limited run vinyls with no press whatsoever, made the playlists of big names like Surgeon, Dettman et al, and sound like T++ being beaten into submission with a Buckfast bottle.

At the moment, I'm very excited by their podcast for Detached.co.uk, which can be found here. Pure raging techno that has no time for those long breakdowns where you go to the bar. Luke Slater may be a genius, but Planetary Assualt Systems has nothing on this. Boom Boom Drug Music, what?

Tracklisting
Mike Ink – Roughmix
KK Null – Missing Link
Max Duley – Own Worst Enemy
EPC – Where Do You Go?
Aubrey – Dark // Mike Parker Mix
Ugandan Methods – Mat Oput 2
Forward Strategy Group – Untitled // Live
Frankie Bones – The Strength To Communicate
SP-X – Sp17 (eq2)
Cluster – 7.42
Sigha – Shake
Charles Manier – Uncompromised Awareness
Forward Strategy Group – untitled // live
Kero – 7 Mile Sucker
Rob Alcock – Traces(Fumiya Tanaka Remix)
The Operator – Strobotron
Forward Strategy Group – Conduct Code #1
Panasonic – Unranokemia
Reuber – Ruhig Blut
Perc – BCG(FSG Mix)
Perc – Wooden Art
Erase Head – Terzog
Con-Dom – Mission To Kill
Smear – Form Constant
La Peste – HL 13 B
Surgeon – Death Before Surrender
Inigo Kennedy – Elevation Seven
Omar S – Busaru Beats
Surgeon – La Real
DJ Qu – Be Who You Want(Hardknock Shakers)
DJ Skull – Frantic Panic
La Peste – HL 13 A
Planetary Assault Systems – Into The Night
Harvey Lane – Clutch
Electric Deluxe – Electric Deluxe
Fumiya Tanaka – Floor People Tension
Tommy Gillard – Rogue Beat 2
Rob Alcock – Afterlight
Joshua – Phase Extrem

Stream or Download

There's more Smear and FSG on a number of netlabels Ante-Rasa, Kaktus Recordings and Avionix. Shallow Rave likes techno.

Friends from Berlin, Pt 2: Tropic

I know I said I was going to leave it, but I just can't...

Tropic is a label run by one of the nicest people I met at Maria Am Ostbahn, Daniel Tischer, or D-Soul .

We dont like Trance, Hardtechno, Vocal or ElektroHouse, Metal or Independent Guitar Rock to release here on Tropic!

-Tropic's contact page, regarding demos

While we at Little rock would like nothing better than to release an elektro-rock, hard-trance, vocal-thrash-house anthem, I do have a lot of time for Tropic's purity of purpose. The shit-hot nature of the tracks I've been slowly trawling through helps.

You might do what I did, and start with TRO 56; an EP by Manchester's Slow noise, "Groovemospherica".



Track one and I was sold. Let us know how you get on.

Friends from Berlin, Pt 1: Phonocake

Phonocake are one of the labels we met, and who I clicked with musically and personally. The latest album on their site is by Mr Incognito. It's called LHC, or "Largest High Church", described on their own site as a particle-'enhancer', which gets the missing blackhole generator activated, supported by the other dimensions headquarter - "Massive Dynamics". I think it's safe to assume he smoke weed and watch manga movies.




PHOKE58 : LHC
by Mr. Incognito
It's been my soundtrack for cooking myself soup. Later on I'm going to delve a little deeper into the label, but for now I need to get ready go to a rehearsal.

Too Much Music!

Kreuzberg, Schlesische Tor

As well as my favourite cafe and countless bars, falafel joints and the rest, Kreuzberg was home to some amazing artwork by local and international graffiti artists, notably some HUGE stuff by Blu...

His work dominates the area (that one is by Watergate, and was how people directed me there), and is often baffling in terms of legality and access. Dude either has permission, nobody cares, or he has some SERIOUS balls.



We first fell in love with Blu hard when he did Motu, whcih I'm sure you'll agree is the shit.

Sunday in Wendel, Tuesday in Glasgow

Wendel is a cool wee cafe at 42 Schlesische Strasse in Kreuzberg. They do a mean hot chocolate and a nice cup of Kräuter Tee. Add a kick ass jazz band, and you have the perfect way to unwind after a hectic weekend of intense musical exercise.

The band was Tré from Zurich, and I bought their album;




I'm back in Glasgow now, and I'm barely afloat, swimming in new music. I have records, CDs and about a million things on various other digital formats to wade through. I've been at it for hours, and I haven't even touched the live recordings we made at the festival, or the stuff I was writing while away. I feel like Scrooge McDuck in a vault of sound.

Feels good, man.

More later, for sure.
For now, I think I'm going to get into my Netaudio panel-mate Andrew Dubber's book, The 20 Things You Must Know About Music Online.

See you on the other side.