One of the mainstays of the underground German house scene, Frankfurt-born DJ/producer Sascha Dive will release his second full-length artist album, Dark Shadow – anyone familiar with Dive’s output and persona will attest to all you Rick Owens buffs that the title is not a high-end fashion reference – in early April. Dark Shadow will arrive four years after Dive’s debut album Restless Nights on his own label, Deep Vibes Recordings, which has released material from the likes of DJ QU and Reboot. While Dive’s output has been limited since he released his first album, the quality has made up for the lack of quantity, as he has notched up remixes of the likes of Matthew Dear before teaming up with Christian Burkhardt on a brace of split EPs that dropped last year. Dive’s signature sound melds stripped-back micro house, rolling percussion and deeper grooves. He also channels influences from house auteurs such as Chez Damier, Theo Parrish and Moodymann, alongside the more abstract sounds of artists like Baby Ford and Thomas Melchior, references which are discernible on listening to the promo of Dive’s forthcoming album. Dark Shadow begins with a succession of atmospheric tracks, and gradually builds from its dark and moody beginnings by introducing deep, underlapping house soundscapes, traversing the peripheral regions of house and techno over the course of what is a cohesive, 11-track outing.
Two of the most influential figures in contemporary music, Brian Eno and Karl Hyde, have joined forces for a collaborative album, Someday World, which will be released on Warp Records in early May. Hyde and Eno performed together at the Sydney Opera House in the finale of the inaugural Vivid festival back in 2009 alongside The Necks, Jon Hopkins and guitarist Leo Abrahams. They subsequently collaborated on the (admittedly disappointing) track ‘Beebop Hurry’, which was released later that year on the Underworld vs The Misterons compilation Athens alongside tracks from Moodymann, Roxy Music and Laurent Garnier. Someday World will be the first time the two have completed a full album together, with the nine-track LP featuring a lengthy ensemble of guest artists, including Eno’s old Roxy Music cohort Andy Mackay and London soul singer Don-E. Hyde discussed the recording process fondly, commenting on the rejuvenating effect of the collaboration in recalling, “the biggest surprise was discovering we both had a love of Afrobeat, cyclical music based in live playing. When Brian played me these early tracks it was, ‘Oh my God, this is home! Can I borrow a guitar?’” Eno was equally enthusiastic, divulging, “I had a big collection of ‘beginnings’ sitting around waiting for something to galvanise them into life, to make them more than just ‘experiments’. That something turned out to be Karl Hyde.” The pair’s willingness to incorporate different perspectives is in keeping with the views Hyde expressed when I spoke with him. Over a bottle of San Pellegrino at the Four Seasons in Circular Quay, he explained, “Art is about looking at the same things with different eyes… You’ve only got one pair of eyes but your perception has to keep evolving if you’re an artist; if you don’t evolve you’re dead.” Neither Hyde nor Eno have ever been at risk of artistic ossification; Someday World is the latest chapter in their diverse bodies of work, which both traverse various genres and artistic disciplines.
Bulgarian producer Strahil Velchev, AKA KiNK, will release his debut album Under Destruction in May on Macro Recordings, the label overseen by Stefan Goldmann and Finn Johannsen that has been described as a bastion of “avant-techno”. Despite the fact he hasn’t released a full-length artist album yet, Velchev is well established in house and techno circles due to his EPs on labels like Rush Hour, Poker Flat, Ovum, and Mule Musiq and regular collaborations with the likes of Neville Watson. Evolving out of a series of live improvisational studio sessions in Velchev’s hometown of Sofia, Under Destruction calls itself ‘post-socialist techno’, with its creator framed as one of a generation who grew up on the home computers Bulgaria’s IT scientists created by backwards-engineering Western technology. Under Destruction was recorded in dozens of analogue jam sessions that were driven by the same ethos that propels Velchev’s live sets, which have lead to KiNK being voted among Resident Advisor’s top live acts in recent years. The 12-track outing packs plenty of the quirky, abstract punch that is a hallmark of the Macro label, with regular vocalist Rachel Row featuring throughout the album.
LOOKING DEEPER
Saturday March 8
4our ft. DJ Mareena
Warehouse Party
Saturday March 15
Len Faki
Chinese Laundry
Moritz Von Oswald
The Burdekin
Friday April 25
Dixon, Prins Thomas, The Matinee Brothers
Greenwood Hotel
Deep Impressions: electronica manifesto and occasional club brand. Contact through [email protected].
