Audiofly X - 4 Play

Audiofly X
4 Play
Get Physical

I imagine that this is the most minimal Get Physical will ever get. It still has the 'Get Physical' sound, but this is no "Movements" or anything. It begins with '4 Play', which reminds of M.A.N.D.Y's release "Jah" which was released over a year ago. A solid track, definately, with what at first sounds like that damned sound i mentioned on 'Neural Block' last week, but it's definately not it. 'Cold Light of Day' reminds of something that would be in a Tiefschwarz set, and 'Are We There Yet?' closes the record with some nice percussion work and synths. Ultimately, all three of these tracks share something in common, but each is very different. This is a very versitile release, with some of the tracks fitting in to a purely minimal set while others would fit well into a more standard Get Physical enviroment.

Gaiser - Neural Block

Gaiser
Neural Block
M_nus

It sounds obvious to me that Gaiser has been listening to Sweet 'n Candy's release "Tacky Wakeup", because that familiar ping-pong-ball-or-drop-of-water sound is all over this release, which, luckily for Gaiser, is excellent. His release "And Answer" on M_nus last year was one of the best debut releases in recent memory, and he has since been featured on M_nus label comp min2max, Magda's mix CD "She's a Dancing Machine", Marco Carola's recent Fabric release, as well as numerous other compilations (his remix of Troy Pierce's "25 Bitches" has also seen quite a bit of play).

Neural Block begins with..."Neural Block", a track that begins as most M_nus releases do. A compressed kick drum, bleeps and bloops, minor vocal samples...all of it is here. The track really builds and doesn't dip once throughout its duration. That all familiar sound is pervasive throughout; I'm still not sure if it's a ping pong ball or a drop of water, but whatever it is, it certainly makes this track a hit. Second track "Half Life" comes in with a deeper opening, but soon becomes the more funky of the two. It is, however, extremely intricate in the way it's constructed, which really goes for all the tracks here, making this such an outstanding release.

The B side changes things up quite a bit. At first it doesn't seem like it, but there is definitely a difference between the first two tracks and the last two. Both of these tracks "Seepage" and "Separation" continue with the same level as the first two. "Seepage" evolves throughout, and it is in the last third of the track where it really shines. Intricate production, with great synth patterns, make this track definitely a stand out, but by this time, each track stands out in its own way. Which leads us to "Separation", which is clearly the darkest track on this release. It has a great mood about it, the pulse of the percussion really propels the track along whilst subtle noises in the background become more and more noticeable. All in all, another fantastic release from M_nus.

Ricardo Villalobos - What's Wrong My Friends?

Ricardo Villalobos
What's Wrong My Friends?
Perlon

Perlon has had an amazing year. Early on they released "Joker Family Park Part 2", Matt John's sequel to his first under the same name, cementing him as an extremely hot producer to look out for. "Superloooongevity", Perlon's fourth label comp, presented, as usual, a great assortment of tracks from Perlon all-stars as well as some new people. Plus, STL's "The Early Tracks" and Melchior Production's "Different Places" were massive hits as well. However, it is Ricardo Villalobos' follow up to undisputed-track-of-the-year "Fizheuer Zieheuer" that may have been Perlon's best release last year.

"What's Wrong My Friends?" shows Herr Villalobos moving in a different direction. We have horns a la Fizheuer, but the beat has a hint of tribalism that we've not seen in a few years from him. It's a new area, one that could go either way. On its own it's a great track, but it's not the best on the EP. "Gugga Sempa" picks things back up. A throwback to the feel of "Thé Au Harem D'Archimède", here is where things come together. It's not that "What's Wrong My Friends?" is bad, quite the opposite, it's better than most things out there, it's just that I like to see him at his most minimal, which is where "Gugga Sempa" falls.

Next we have "Africolaps", the shortest track on the EP, and one of the best. It starts of promising, and subtle beats quickly build on top of each other while a loop of an (African, I suppose) singer is heard. It's certainly the one here to play when people need to start dancing. Which brings us to "Dummolator". We start out in Fizheuer territory, with Villalobos playing around with the parameters of his drum machines, phasing and manipulating as he goes along with one beat, while keeping a steady one underneath. And, well, not much else happens until around the eight minute mark where we get a deep kick drum that really propels things. And again, this pretty much keeps up for the remainder of the track. It certainly gives those who dislike him plenty to hate on, but for those who love him, it's where he really shines. In my opinion, it's the best on the EP.

None of the tracks here really breathe like his "Achso" release and none are as long-winded and revolutionary as "Fizheuer Zieheuer", but minimal techno really does not get much better than this. I expect great things from both Perlon and Villalobos this year.

Loco Dice - Harissa

Loco Dice
Harissa
Cadenza

Coming months after his summer hit "Seeing Through Shadows", Loco Dice releases "Harissa" on Luciano's label Cadenza. Cadenza, which earlier this year released both Ricardo Villalobos' celebrated "Achso" as well as Thomas Melchior and Luciano's stunning "Solomon's Prayer/Father", has quickly become an extremely hot label. "Harissa" is much like "Achso" in that both contained four tracks each around 12-13 minutes, and both take minimal techno to great heights.

"Harissa" begins with "Raindrops on My Window", which opens the record nicely with subtle beats and some mumbling vocals. It proceeds quickly but its length allows it plenty of room to breathe. The next track, "Paradiso", is the most immediate of the four. It's a straightforward minimal track, slightly in vein of "Seeing Through Shadows". Good, but not as important as the others on the EP.

Up next is "Vamos a Cali", which, like the first track, experiments with minimal techno. It begins directionless, but soon comes together to a cohesive whole. The last track, "A Chico A Rytmico", may be the best on the EP. It, like its bretheren, excels in the subtle building of the track, but it has something about it that sets it apart from the others.

"Harissa" presents a kind of minimal that is becoming very popular. It's clear that the length of tracks are changing, and with these longer tracks producers are really attempting to explore the soundscapes with which they are working. If "Fizheuer Zieheuer" was any indication, longwinded minimal is here to stay.