NO MOON 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Fred Shepherd has been laying down thick slabs of electro for the past six years under the No Moon alias, taking in labels like X-Kalay, Echo Vortex, Craigie Knowes and Church. Now he's landing on Mechatronica with five new works, leading in with the compression chamber sonics of 'No Way Back' which doesn't need to roll fast to make its imposing presence felt. 'Small Moves' takes the interstellar elevator in pursuit of its own bruising intentions, while 'Go 2 Bed' locks into a more familiar mode of machine funk for the mid-tempo massive. 'Vegetarian At The BBQ' keeps things pinging and ponging atop those hard-ass drums, and 'All Roads Lead To Hear' winds things up with a rapid, bleepy selection for when the night wants to get a touch more delirious.

Review: On his previous outings for Craigie Knowes, Fred Shepheard AKA No Moon has proved adept at wrapping punchy electro rhythms and crunchy breakbeats in immersive, deep space ambient chords, psychedelic acid lines and enveloping pads. On Spins Parities & Multipolarities, he further explores the latter portion of his trademark style, largely removing the beats in favour of weightless, meditative electronic soundscapes rich in emotive chord sequences, drifting pads, intergalactic electronics, atmospheric field recordings, blissful melodies and pleasing nods to the similarly framed aural world of Global Communication. The results are gorgeous, occasionally grandiose and always alluring, with more than a few nods to Pete Namlook and ambient techno outfits like MLO or Higher Intelligence Agency.

Review: With the praise for his fine "653 Miles" EP on Church still ringing in his ears, Fred Shepherd AKA No Moon returns to X-Kalay for the first time in three years. He hits the ground running with the squelchy, acid-fired electro bounce of "Programmed Reality", before heading towards deep space via the deliciously percussive, bass-heavy and alien-sounding thrills of the equally acid-laden "Aoe Rushin". Over on side B, Adam Pits re-imagines that track as a fierce slab of bassline-driven breakbeat sleaze (honestly, it's properly raw and wild), while "Set Phases To Stun" is a deliciously deep, sunrise-ready affair that explores similar sonic territory to blissful Orbital classic "Belfast".

Review: Last heard on Craigie Knowes, Berlin-based Fred Shepherd makes his first appearance on Church via a suitably deep, dreamy and intergalactic collection of cuts. "Dayz" sounds a little like some of Larry Heard's most far-sighted, emotive and futuristic early deep house cuts, while "Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way" is the kind of tactile, saucer-eyed breakbeat-goes-dream house number that would sound simply stunning if you listened to it while watching the sun come up. "Highland Spring" offers an icier and arguably even more picturesque take on deep house/breakbeat fusion, while opener "653 Miles" contains some of the lushest chords and most evocative piano solos we've heard for some time.

Review: Glaswegian label Craigie Knowes has yet to receive the hype that its quietly impressive back catalogue so clearly deserves. Perhaps this EP from sometime Mork White regular No Moon (AKA Manchester-based producer Fred Shepherd) will refresh the parts the imprint's other releases have yet to reach. All three tracks are impeccably spacey and futurist in tone, with Shepherd wrapping dreamy chords and glistening electronic melodies around snappy drum machine rhythms. Those searching for tracks to illicit saucer-eyed dancefloor moments should head straight for the rushing bliss of "Infinite Dreamz", while "Mallet Fury" offers a more bustling, bottom-heavy take on the same core idea. As for "Explanet Vibe Cult", it sounds like the kind of club-ready deep space electro jam that you'd find on cult Sheffield label Central Processing Unit.

Review: Mork White finally launches to provide a small sub-outlet for more 'off-Mork' sounds. As the label say themselves 'exploring rougher edges and surfaces as well as some more minimalistic and stripped back areas... and a bit of sly electro.' No Moon from Manchester opens up the series with the first of two EPs. Starting off with the dark and dubby Delsin style techno of "Space Station Dub" (which was rather austere and evocative we do say), he then travels out of the darkness and into something more optimistic on the warm and hypnotic bass driven groove of "Unusual Light Curve". Finally on the flip, the title track is a deep acid journey on cruise control. All tracks featuring that all analogue quality from the machines right down to to the recording.

Review: Mork's diffusion label sees them pushing different sonic forms from their usual outlet. No Moon opens up the series with second of two 12's full 'of vintage warmth & fire' as the label best put themselves. "I Left My Dial In Pirovac" (part 2) rolls deep through the stratosphere on this cosmic techno journey awash in ethereal pads, rusty drum computers and deep analogue bass. "Everything Has A Return" does yet more deepside electro bass as heard on the previous volume and closing the fine release out with the sublime "Is It Vibey Is It Yolo" which the label named the techno version of Don Henley's "Boys Of Summer" or something to that effect? Fair call!

Review: Mancunian electronic explorer Fred Shepherd once again dons the No Moon alias, this time for a quartet of distorted, redlined machine jams on Echo Vortex. He begins in confident fashion with the razor-sharp acid lines, whistling melodies and hustling electro rhythms of "Pretty Fly For A Lo Fi", before doffing a cap to early "techno jungle" on the humid and sweaty breakbeat revivalism of "Inspired By The Rift". On the flip, you'll find the punishing, insanely distorted techno beats and braindance style electronics of "Io", before Shepherd unfurls the epic deep house/intelligent techno fusion of "Return To Earth".

Review: Fresh from his intergalactic travels, Manchester's No Moon lands his rocket on planet X-Kalay with four more far-out sonic adventures. "Manc1010101" sets the tone and taps into his city's infamous penchant for straight-up, heads-down tech grooves with unassuming but seriously stately Geraldian chug factor. Deeper into the EP we're dive deep into the dense weaves of poignant pads and lead-like kicks on "Nothing Else Matters" and enjoy some jazzy fingers on "Listing Lazily To The Left". Finally, the brilliantly-titled "Everything's Coming Up Milhouse" closes the show with a sense of proto house tropical mystique. Limited!

Review: New imprint Blorp is described by its' creators as an outlet for "dream music from outer space". It's a fairly accurate description, because the four tracks showcased on this first label sampler deliver spacey, Motor City-influenced deep house goodness in spades. No Moon opens proceedings with the gentle acid lines, reverb-heavy dream chords and undulating machine drums of "AoE Cutz", before Gnork doffs a cap to early '90s ambient house and intelligent techno with the luscious "Lose Control". Flip for Douala's "Untitled 1", a broken beat/ultra deep house hybrid that evokes memories of Neo Image's recent work for Pacific Rhythm, and the deep space sludge of S Channel's trippy "Polar Express Pigeon".

Review: We are always excited when something new emerges on North Yorkshire based Crow Castle Cuts, who present some super deep 303 house and techno excursions here on this double 12". Tape Hiss gently ease us into the EP with melodic and dreamy opener "Fade", before Manchester based producer and DJ No Moon (Fred Shepherd) serves up some deep and emotive electro with standout cut "Last Track @ 64" and Golden Pudel resident and all round Hamburg legend RVDS (Richard von der Schulenburg) presents three versions of the 303 acid epic "Strings Of Black", followed by the sunset balearica of "Turtle Real".