Maelstrom returns to Central Processing Unit for the fourth time, and it's the one born Joan-Mael Péneau's lengthiest drop on the Sheffield label yet. The French artist has been a mainstay in the European electro game since the 2000s, and Malestrom brings that experience to bear on new LP The FM Tapes. He goes about this album with the assurance of a seasoned pro, combining his mastery of electro production techniques with a trademark guile to craft an expertly-paced eleven-track affair. The first section of The FM Tapes sets out the album's stall with style and aplomb - listeners are in store for a rich feast of off-kilter machine-funk which will feature no shortage of intriguing detours. On opener 'Ondes Courtes' the mix throbs with all manner of strange electronic gristle: a distorted bass hum rattles the monitors; wisps of distortion float across the mix; eerily pretty keys wax and wane before giving way to a radar pulse. 'Ondes Courtes' is an ominous slouch of a scene-setter, and it lines things up perfectly for following cut 'Alt50ser' to lock in. This track's churning, gurgling mid-tempo rattle brings to mind the wacky insistence of Modeselektor. Maelstrom repeats the slow-fast one-two again directly afterwards - 'La Vie Sociale Des', a strange nugget that sounds like an early Eski instrumental stripped for parts and blasted into the cosmos, is an ideal prelude to the twitchy space-funk of 'My Digitone'. Maelstrom's staying power in the electro world comes, in no small part, from his ability to apply his delightfully idiosyncratic choices to some of the genre's staple production tropes. On The FM Tapes, he marks himself out once more as a pleasingly unorthodox talent by taking tracks in unexpected directions to produce surprising - and often rather moving - results.

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Repress!
Veteran French producer, Maelstrom made his Cultivated Electronics debut in 2018 with 'ECZO EP'. Now more than two years later and following a new album on RAAR, he returns with another EP, this time for CE's vinyl-only subsidiary, Cultivated Electronics Ltd. Joan-Mael Peneau has been making music for over fifteen years, with a history of aliases and side projects, illegal raves thrown in warehouses, fields and basements, but he soon came into his own under his Maelstrom moniker, releasing music on the likes of RAAR (the label he co-founded with Louisahhh in 2015), Cultivated Electronics, Central Processing Unit, Mechatronica, Private Persons and Discos Atonicos. Though his name suggests chaos, Maelstrom's music delivers intention, focus and precision that are evident on his 'Expression Directe' EP, which features four new tracks of deep and expressive electro-funk.

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Maelstrom returns to Mechatronica in full force with a magnetic set of productions, building a hypersonic vortex of speedy IDM dips, sinister electro and picturesque ambience on his second EP for the Berlin based record label and collective.

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Maelstrom links up with DeFeKT and Berlin syndicate Mechatronica, to deliver four bloodcurdling electro and techno cuts for the floor, forcefully designed to activate bodies and transport minds. Not for the faint hearted.

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RAAR is deeply proud to present the first full length album from label co- founder Maelstrom, entitled "Her Empty Eyes". Both an evolution of the producer's rich history and an intellectual departure from everything that has preceded it, "Her Empty Eyes" is a work that is uncanny, challenging and meditative.
Continuing upon the cross-media mission of RAAR, the LP is in fact the outline of a sonic novel

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he Vinyl Factory has teamed up with French label Zone for another rugged techno four tracker, this time from close associate and well established production talent Maelstrom. Though his name suggests total chaos, Maelstrom’s music belies intention, focus and precision. Often marked as ‘exciting newcomer’ to French techno, Maelstrom has actually been making music for over fifteen years. With a cryptic history of aliases and side projects, illegal raves thrown in warehouses and fields and basements, the artist has really come into his own under this moniker. The ‘Optics’ EP showcases metallic techno, acid house, industrial noise and stark ambient sounds, forging smokey machine music for those with a penchant for post punk and a soft spot for the spikier end of the techno spectrum

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Wheez-ie joins Craigie Knowes offshoot C-KNOW-EVIL with bone-shakin' breaks, piercing synths and flavours channeled from 90s UK rave-culture. 'ONLY HUMAN' sets the record straight with chopped and distorted breaks laden with carefully selected voice clips and samples - building a haunting wall-shaker built for any dancefloor willing enough to test their stamina. 'WEAPONIZED' continues in a similar vein, injecting acid into the heart of the signature Wheez-ie sound. A record for the bolt of heart, stray carefully

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New record label by Craigie Knowes focussing on faster, harder and darker tracks. The first comes from a familiar affiliate of Craigie Knowes - TEXTASY. This record sees the Texan side-step away from his usual (if there is such a thing for Textasy) electro, hardcore or 'terror tech' sounds and lands firmly within the realms of techno. Interesting and club-destroying at the same time, just like everything else he's released. Hand-drawn 10" sleeve design by Rakem to boot.

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