Sound Metaphors Germany 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Tom Chasteen is an LA-born mega-musician who is widely credited for helping to spurn the San Francisco rave movement of the 1990s, not least by founding the Exist Dance label. Masquerading under various monikers such as Eden Transmission, High Lonesome Sound System and Voodoo Transmission, many of his tracks are cemented in the rave music canon as some of the most pivotal, thanks to their pushing of a rather psychedelic sound. Suitable for the looking-back era of the 2020s, the new EP by Tom, 'Selected Productions', zooms out of that era and into the present, re-homing in on some of that artist's later works when the SanFran heyday was over. Downtempo, full of international influences, and retaining that scratchy 'lifted from vinyl and remastered' sound, this is spiritual lyrical miziricle music for the dancing astral traveller.

Review: Sound Metaphors has lined up a bunch of killer EPs to drop in quick fashion and this one from Data features several different versions of one fantastic single. 'Extroscopic' is deft techno with nimble baselines and light synths that float through space on the Extroscopic version while the dub is even more warm and bubbly. 'Extroscopic' (Trancextro Scopie) has more trance-tinged chord work and then Anatolian Weapons turns out a more psychedelic version with silvery percussive chatter and last of all a Deep Mix that is indeed a heads down back room techno trip.

Review: 'Waiting For The Lights' was first released in 1992, and is a breakbeat heartbreaker in mono, marrying stuttering leads and bleepazoid melodies into a hissing stew. Mandalay's mix is a heavyweight remix, not shy of indulging in 'tribal' additions such as marimba and djembe. By far the best remix is the Thai Mix, adding the perfect amount of weight with a rollicking acid line. We'll only say this about 'Waiting For Champion Sound', the B4: it deserved to be more of a hit.

Review: Those of a certain age might well remember this early trance and breakbeat anthem from Life Form. It landed in 1993 and now on the occasion of its 30th birthday, it has been fully remastered for this reissue on Sound Metaphors. Right now this sort of sound is full back en vogue with all sorts of young producers aping those early glory days but few will match the quality of 'Come Down' with its slick breakbeat loops and alluring female vocals. There are two mixes, a Juan Ramos remix that is more downtempo and the captivating 'Summer's Child' is also included.

Review: Manchester born drummer Morgan King is behind these all consuming and dubbed out, tribal-tinged breakbeats. He dropped them first back in '91 and now they get a reissue right when this sort of sound is back in fashion. They have been remastered for the occasion and are perfect for head down and soot-black floors in the dead of night. 'Brother This' (Techno Om mix) is a 12 minute trip with snaking bass and real menace. 'Brother That' (Tribal Om mix) gets more stoned and zoned out and 'Brother That (Om beats)' is a final piece of this well-crafted puzzle.

Review: The last step in the Spiral Tribe trilogy from the R-Zac output (aka a collaboration between Sebastian Vaughan and Simon Carter) featuring three tracks in the pioneering style of early Spiral Tribe from 1994, clearly establishing the inspirational groundwork for dancefloor genres and mind sets to come. Driving layers of bass, transients and dubbed out melodic loops transforming into percussive elements and vice versa throughout extended excursions in fast paced machine powered exercises. Viciously remastered for maximum effect on large sound systems.

Review: First released in 1992 on Muzak, an Italian label headed up by Leo Mas, Fabrizio Lazzari, and Andrea Gemolotto, this crucial 12" played a pivotal role in shaping Italy's dancefloor electronic scene of the early 90s. Infused with influences from Detroit and New York, it forged a unique sound that is still fresh today. Now, it sees an official reissue with a great remix of 'Futureless' by Berlin-based Trent. This revamped version strips away the breakbeat elements, infusing the track with a new acid vibe. The reissue breathes new life into a timeless classic, bridging the gap between past and present electronic landscapes.

Review: Highly sought after tracks by Dutch legends Unit Moebius, the godfathers of the Hague's techno sound, have been reissued here by Berlin's Sound Metaphors on SM23. All cuts like the dirty and cracking industrial of 'Sensor' and the contorted IDM of 'Radar' are taken from their 1996 Untitled EP on Spiral Tribe's Network23 imprint - which goes for large amounts on the secondhand market. Over on the flip, the mental overdrive of 'Antenna' or the minimal tool 'Probe' sound like something that Donato Dozzy or Mike Parker would play in their DJ sets. Essential!

Review: West Coast rave scene specialists Michael Kandel and Tom Chasteen are Voodoo Transmission and they have one again plunged deep in their vaults to serve up this reissue EP. One side boasts two dynamic dancefloor renditions that blend rhythmic layers with dubbed-out effects - 'Crazy Jane' channels Debbie Harry's 'Heart of Glass' on LSD. The flip side intensifies with downtempo gabba vibes with raging synths and abundant cymbal action. Three versions incorporate samples from Jimmy Stewart's 1946 monologue in It's A Wonderful Life to add another vibe entirely.