J. Tijn embarks on the eleventh expedition into the exotic lands of palm trees and blue skies with the dark and gritty ‘The Deluge’ EP. Expedition eleven features four jams packed of heavy drum rhythms, moody synth lines and ambient soundscapes.
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This release captures kicks, rhythms, and snares—only to drag them kicking and screaming into a metallic underworld. In J. Tijn’s echo-sphere, there are only allusions to the status quo of sound and beats, and never a full-fledged embrace of the conventional. On Side A’s “Kanon V.I.P.” a grizzly digital war is left to play out between both kick and snare, with grainy battle lines drawn around upbeat and downbeat. Survivors of the conflict are rewarded with a groove reminiscent of grime, if only the genre had been reborn in a dystopian future. Side B opens with a roughneck beat on “MOR” before turning its hand into a fist and effectively destroying its own image. The groove lives through this barrage of sound, but as a heavy and dark undercurrent just strong enough to remind you where J.Tijn’s roots are. “Shy” lures you in with a rounded electro kick, before glutting the rhythm and ushering in a wall of sound. A snowstorm of screaming drum samples proceed to surround you: you may have been here before, but you are somewhere rhythmically unseen. Embedded in all of these tracks are perhaps a sign of the times: the things that used to be seen as normal have now changed and mutated. More

Pennyroyal continues with a slamming EP from Zeki, the new alias for a familiar and prolific UK producer. Four cuts of ruffian Grime / Techno hybrids clocking in at 140bpm. Built to enjoy or deploy loud at your favourite dance.
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Guy Andrews first appeared on Pennyroyal's parent label Hemlock with Shades / Textures in 2011, two cinematic and reflective UK techno tracks that earned him a loyal student fanbase. He returned to the wavering imprint in 2013 with the pounding tribal thumper 'Resistivity' and has since released an EP on Leeds based techno label Fina because his ex-manager thought it would be good to "Keep things moving." Since then Guy has been busy developing a unique 'career portfolio' including composing for film and television, launching a niche specialist winter sports fashion line and lifestyle channel 'Curl goth' and more recently founding a peer-to-peer lending co-operative and crypto-currency for exchanging controversial facts surrounding the National Trust. In-between these diverse activities Guy has channelled his inner spirit animal (Icelandic horse) to produce two monstrous yet boringly titled techno stormers: 'Ambient Track / Experiment 02' that are a natural fit for the Pennyroyal oeuvre/overdraft. His epic sound design and signature attention to detail remain intact; this time bolstered by reinforced metallic drums and clipped distortion. Mastered by Sam @ Precise Artwork by Richard Dunning More

Following last month's uncompromising 'Yearn' EP from J.Tijn, Pennyroyal continues to invest in techno's kicks of tomorrow by welcoming Myler into our family circle. With releases on Fifth Wall and Apothecary Compositions already under his belt, Myler powers forward with three hits of medicinal grade club fuel. The saturated drum bump of lead track 'Gorilla Biscuits' dunks hard with its rolling groove and percussive hook; playing out with the bounce of 90's Strictly Rhythm counterpointed by fierce snarls and switch up's that evoke 90s' Reinforced. The Shortbread edit is for the happy faced warehouse crew, pushing the same driving groove through some toughening acid treatments. 'Carol Vorderman' is the most abrasive of the pack spitting out stressed kicks and crumbling stabs for the won't leave the venue crew. More

Untold’s Pennyroyal imprint drops its fourth release in August, a four track EP from techno heavyweights Ben Sims and Paul Mac’s Fokus Group project entitled ‘Fokus Group’ EP. Started by the Hemlock Recordings man earlier in 2013, Pennyroyal has so far released ballsy, uncompromising modern techno by J Tijn and Boner M and that musical remit continues with Sims and Mac’s hardcore fuelled, selftitled assault. ‘Nut Nut’, ‘Mucky Crack Funk’, ’93.2’ and ‘Rave X3 = Murder’ and the titles and they pretty much speak for themselves – there’s a reckless abandon across all four cuts that musically gives off a distinct old school feel feel without getting bogged down in self conscious retro aesthetics. More