In Strict Tempo, vol. 113: Reviews Special
Hello and welcome to this weeks In Strict Tempo. There’s been lots going on in the IST extended universe, some of which will become clear very soon as a project myself and Luke Stonecirclesampler have been working on comes to fruition. More on that soon, but this week it’s just 100% music reviews. Dive in!
Tara Clerkin Trio - Somewhere Good [World of Echo]
This is really shaping up to be one of the albums of the year - moving seamlessly across influences and getting a lot of work done. Getting positive reviews across the board, but most importantly the coveted In Strict Tempo ‘TIP’ (okay, I just made that up, but this is good) it’s the sound of a band who’re making themselves one of the most exciting and experimental acts around. What can you expect from this? Well that would give away the surprise, but I guess it’s jazzy, but not Jazz-with-a-capital-J serious beard-stroking Jazz; It’s young, playful and fun and brings in elements of indie, folk and more electronic styles with a nod to their Bristol heritage. Ultimately, we can say what we want about it, but there’s no substitute for getting out there, sticking some headphones on and having a damn good listen to it.
Martyn - Music For Existing [3024]
Straight from the off this one’s gonna be a belter. Melding deep n’ bassy club sounds with live-sounding drums it’s almost like you’re getting two records at once, perfectly matched. The album then runs through trip-hop & electronica in fine style, making what should be a timeless release.
Function & Nastia Reigel - Devocion [Dekmantel]
A great double header here on Dekmantel combining off-the-wall techno and lysergic elements to create a trippy EP of tunes that made me wish I still got right on it…
Shed - Rave Echoes [Dekmantel]
The Killer still stands high as one of my favourite electronic albums of all time, almost perfectly capturing that sound of 2012/2013 when everything felt exciting. Things still sound exciting, even though I’m a lot more jaded now, so I’m hoping this new Shed LP will snap me out of my funk.
Delroy Edwards - It’s Happening (To Me) [LA Club Resource]
A nice housey roller this one, does everything you’d want it to do over a short 2 and a half minutes. Could be longer, should be longer, but either way nice to have him back.
Francesco Leali - Hexed 05 [Radio Raheem]
Okay it’s not a proper release, but this radio show from Milan based composer & producer Francesco Leali is a great primer of industrial and power electronics showcasing the best of a sometimes maligned genre. Check it out over at Radio Raheem.
JK Flesh / Monrella - SHOUTING THE ODDS [Give/Take]
Two heavyweight titans here coming together for an ungodly tribute to no-nonsense Brum-style techno. Big and bold, this stuff does exactly what it says on the tin.
Midland - Without Pause [Graded]
There was a time when people would have gone mad for this, it would have been the heater of the summer. It’s not bad, but feels stuck in a bit of a 2016 rut. I’m sure it still be mad popular with the Croatia festival crew though.
Quiet Husband - Gesture [Industrial Coast]
A new outing for Richie Culvers Quiet Husband alias, which leans towards the darker, heavier techno side of things. Proper powerful gear this, sitting comfortably above 180bpm so not for the faint-hearted. Album comes early July.
Trickfinger / John Frusciante - Tysch [Acid Test]
Probably better known as the guitarist in Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Frusciante is also a proper electronic music head working under his Trickfinger alias. This one takes the usual acid recipe and twists it on it’s head to create something mind-melting.
