Having explored rather obscure and downtempo territory with Mr. G's album Pearls Don't Lay On the Shore earlier this year, CHILDHOOD returns with another discernig 12" dedicated to the dancefloor. Welcome to PLACE OF CONNECT PT.01! Ed Davenport, who has mainly focussed on his INLAND moniker in recent years, brings back another distinctive side of his personality delivering three unique, raw and pumping house cutz under his real name. The A-side starts off with Suntazia, an acid break beat anthem that sheds light and euphoria onto any dance floor, and is followed by the true jacking groove that is Inertia. The B-side is made up of Electricity, a wonderful testimonial to those magic moments on the dance floor, when everybody in the room just moves and moves... beyond the need of unnecessary gimmicks and sonic spectacles. More

Maeve is the record label run by three close friends, Mano Le Tough, The Drifter and Baikal. For Maeve’s eighth outing it has enlisted the talents of long time friend Ed Davenport. The record grew from a chance hearing of some new material at Ed’s studio one night and after a brief discussion it was decided that the tracks would find a fitting home at Maeve. Although recently more known for his harder techno releases under the moniker Inland, Silver Walks is some what a return to Ed’s roots. Slower, emotive, more contemplative tracks, recorded over a pretty short period of focused studio time.
'Silver Walks' is a synth-led jam. The arpeggiator holds pride of place as the centre of the tune with filter tweaks complementing its progression. 'Kuromaku' has a tougher attitude - heady and cosmic with a deep kick. It means 'black curtain' in Japanese. More

Counterchange founder Ed Davenport drops three lovingly crafted Techno jams for the fifth release on the label. 'Counter005' guides us through the versatile styles of the British producer's sound; precise, filtering techno; urgent cut up vocal funk; housed-up 909 jams. The EP sees Davenport look to faster tempos and a driving, Techno aesthetic, no doubt inspired by his regular and extended sets at a certain Berlin clubbing institution. That said, the eternal, hypnotic House groove remains present throughout. More

A1. SOLSTICE A2. SOLSTICE (LOST) B1. MONUMENT B2. EARTHLOOP More

Berlin based Brit Ed Davenport has announced his debut LP, Counterchange, will be released in March 2012. Having slowly but assuredly emerged through the mire of house producers in the last 5 or so years, Ed Davenport now cuts it with the best of them. A steady stream of singles, EPs and remixes have come on labels like liebe*detail, Falkplatz and Pooled Music in recent times, but arguably it?s the Salisbury born man?s work for Bristol?s NRK which has found him really finding his feet. The More Red Lights and New Yorkshire EPs from 2011 are testament to that, both of which explored a well-designed, thick and heavy house and techno sound. It?s a similar sound explored throughout Counterchange, too, but with plenty of concessions to filmic home listening rather than straight up dancefloor fodder. Notably, breakbeats feature heavily up the spine of the album, as does subtle vocal sampling and plenty of atmospheric tension. Says Ed: ?'Counterchange' is a further development of my vision of electronic music, that sits somewhere between the club and home listening. The title relates to the relationship and contrast between any two opposites. That could simply be harmony, light andshade, viewpoints or opinions. From my background studying as a graphic designer, the use of counterchange in a visual sense can be very effective.? Starting with the brooding drums and moody voices of ?Of Light & Shade? the album unfurls through the barely restrained rave euphoria of the title track, the beautifully re-worked melodies of ?New Yorkshire? and ?More Red Lights? as well as touching on some sombre downbeat bleakness, bold concrete funk and under-lapping deep techno. The penultimate track, ?Somewhere,? is to be the album?s forceful first single: an obvious choice for its deeply hypnotic rhythms and train-track grooves. Frankly, the album is a real voyage from start to finish, and one that marks Davenport out as someone with plenty to say, as well as the skills to say it. More

tracklist: A1. CHEZ DAMIER - UNTITLED, A2. TERRENCE DIXON - RETURN OF THE SPEAKER PEOPLE (KAUSTO'S SUDDEN APHASIA MIX), B1. ACHTERBAHN D'AMOUR - TRANCE ME UP (SKUDGE MIX), B2. DANIEL WANG - BERLIN SUNRISE
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tracklist: A1. CHEZ DAMIER - UNTITLED, A2. TERRENCE DIXON - RETURN OF THE SPEAKER PEOPLE (KAUSTO'S SUDDEN APHASIA MIX), B1. ACHTERBAHN D'AMOUR - TRANCE ME UP (SKUDGE MIX), B2. DANIEL WANG - BERLIN SUNRISE
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part 2 includes tracks by DAZE MAXIM, DEEPAK SHARMA & DIETER KRAUSE ( DJ QU remix ), DNTEL ( LAWRENCE Rmx ), WESTBOY
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Sampler #3 from the Global Communication "Back In The Box" compilation album, the techno and ambient retrospective selected by Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard, back together again after a 15 year hiatus. Opening up this seriously hot four track EP is an ultra rare and often overlooked Carl Craig Remix of Yennek, AKA Kenny Larkin. Two Detroit pioneers collide on this beauty, with delicate oscillating keys gliding over a heavyweight breakbeat and clattering hats, a signature style of Carl's. The track really kicks in with the bassline and monumental pitch bending synth stabs. A real must have for anyone with a love for the original Detroit sound. Track two comes from UK's Matt Cogger AKA Neuropolotique, but recorded in Detroit for Juan Atkin's Interface label back in 1990. A track like no other, this is uncompromising stuff, and way ahead of its time. Crazy, distorted, tubular, plastic techno beats with big, big modular synth work. Not for the faint hearted! Out of Amsterdam, Maarten van der Vleuten was one of the wave of Dutch producers pioneering the sound alongside Detroit, British and German counterparts. Flux's "True Feelings" is a string-dominated squelch-funker with the DX100 synths trademark twangy bass wrapping around face slapping snares, claps and funky conga lines. Originally out on an R&S Records sub-label back in 1992. Wrapping up this essential release are the godfathers of the UK sound, 808 State. The tee-shirt used to say "on the sixth day, God created Manchester", but before that he must of created 808 State, who truly opened up UK ears to the techno sound. This track, lifted from their phenomenal album "90", is moody and sparse, with almost an Eastern feel to it's glacial melody and hypno-groove. More

Sampler #2 from the Global Communication "Back In The Box" compilation album, the techno and ambient retrospective selected by Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard, back together again after a 15 year hiatus. Techno's "The Innovator", Derrick May, laid down the foundations for the music in a very short time period, and has never gone back to production since, except for a few rare forays into the studio. This project, with Steve Hillage AKA System 7, was conceived in 1992, but the Mayday mix here was released in 2002. May's trademark frenetic and flanged 909 beats along with System 7's cosmic guitar work and monumental pads. An often overlooked track, this captures Derrick May at his best. Fellow Detroit pioneers, Octave One, are perhaps best remembered for the huge "Blackwater" single and the timeless "I Believe", but this rare cut from 1991, and released on Carl Craig's Retroactive label, was recorded under the guise Never On Sunday. Melancholic and uber deep, this is a fine example of the more intricate Detroit sounds from this era.
Speedy J's "De-Orbit" is one of the ever prevalent tracks from this era. Originally released on Richie Hawtin's Plus 8 label, and later featured on the legendary "Artificial Intelligence" album on Warp, "De-Orbit" is a downtempo mood piece, with gorgeous meleody and a slow churning breakbeat. Many DJs from this time, however, opted to play this track pitched up to 45rpm, creating an entirely new experience from the record, boarding on proto-jungle/breakbeat. Indeed, on the Back In The Box mix, the track is repitched to nearly 130bpm. Originally out in 1991.
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NRK Music's much revered retrospective compilation series, Back In The Box, returns this Spring with a double mix compiled and sequenced by one of electronic music's most enduring pairs. Not just Back In The Box, but back together, Global Communication, AKA Tom Middleton and Mark Pritchard, reunite following a 15 year hiatus to lay down a collection of genre and era defining Techno and Electronica. Ahead of it's release, here's a very special vinyl sampler to kickstart the project. Shake AKA Anthony Shakir, is currently undergoing a renaissance with various reissues on the cult Dutch label Rush Hour. "Sonar 123" was recorded in 1990, initially releases on Juan Atkins Interface Records, and then picked up by the UK's Peacefrog Records in 1993 for release on the legendary "Various Artists - Sonar 123" EP that also featured tracks from Juan Atkins, Nuero Polotique and Reel By Reel. "Sonar 123" is so ahead of its time, relentless raw and bleepy Detroit techno, this track is often cited as one of the best in its genre. Across the pond in the UK, Balil AKA Ed Handley, was making futuristic breakbeat techno music, as well as making up one third of the original Black Dog trio, and also one half of Plaid. UK electronica was burgeoning with labels like Warp and Kirk Degiorgio's ART, who originally released "Nort Route" in 1991, to be re-released in later years by Carl Craig's Planet E and R&S Records. "Nort Route" is emotive and complex electronica, with it's soulful melody lines and pitch bending pads weaving through hard, industrial breakbeats. The third track on this, the first sampler to be taken from Global Communication's Back In The Box selection, is from one of the legendary Bellevue Three. Kevin "Reese" Saunderson is credited as one of the creators of techno, and certainly the one to enjoy the most commercial fame via his Inner City project. "Just Want Another Chance" though is classic "Reese", with snaking sub bass over hardcore 909 drumbeats and whispered vocals. The bassline here became the foundations for so many drum and bass records of the 90s, but techno and house music were afforded a classic, minimal jacking track from one of the masters. Originally out in 1988.
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