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While Sam Barker & Andreas Baumecker are spending time on the road with their impressive hardware live set (during which they fuse tracks from their debut album Transsektoral with new dancefloor burning material), some of their closest peers have been busy on their own re-workings, resulting in four tracks from their album in new, exciting flavours.
Machinedrum’s House version of “No Body” is half tool, half anthem. Sparing but dramatic percussion builds the intensity, whilst vocoded vocal samples and classic stabs relentlessly spiral towards a rushing bliss to suit almost any set.
Newcomer Kobosil delivers his first remix for vinyl release, but you might be forgiven to think that this guy is a veteran programmer. His Techno workout of “Silo” impresses with it’s punishing drive, subtle, hypnotic synth sounds, escalating hi-hats and crystal clear production.
Blawan takes “Crows” to the nether regions of tough, full-blown Industrial darkness. Mr Roberts digs up the sinister essence of the original, throws in an anthemic rave feel, and buries everything under a mountain of bass. Floor shaking stuff.
Restoration Record’s Third Side (comprising of Lucretio, Marieu and Steffi) seem to have come into their own after the release of their first long player. With nonchalant confidence, they take “Schlang Bang”, perhaps the most talked about track from Barker & Baumecker’s album, and give it the full Third Side treatment – pumping, grooving beats and basslines somewhere beyond house and techno, live and direct.
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Still pushing the boundaries, Sandwell District's David Sumner a.k.a Function announces his first 12'' on Ostgut Ton. A regular at Berghain and Panorama Bar, is was only a matter of time before the infectious, hypnotic and psychedelic work of Function would find its way into the Ostgut catalogue.
Opening with the mood-setting “Gradient (Intro)”, with its spacial ambience and Sci-Fi dramatics, we are launched into the earthy, modulating “Gradent I”. Tripping 808 patterns revolve around a dense inner core, taking us far out into the ether.
Fortified with tougher percussion, “Gradient II” snakes its way through a filtering sequence, building on strong foundations to take us further into the abstract, yet heavily addictive Function mindset.
“Incubation (Prologue)”, brings this bold EP to a conclusion, its pulsing acid bass and foreboding strings offering a suggestion of what might lie ahead. A dramatic and exciting development in Function's dextrous sound.
Released: 25 February 2013
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After a long break Len Faki makes a welcome return to Ostgut Ton with a new 12“. His Rainbow Delta|Mekong Delta EP for Ostgut Ton had a huge impact and Faki has gone from strength to strength in recent years. His new EP for the label entitled Basement Trax Vol. 01 is something of a departure from his signature sound, all the elements are still there but are paired with a new more restrained approach and basic rawness.
The A-Side “BTX1” pairs a deep rolling beat with low frequency signals until finally a first vocal sample enters the mix and is underlayed with whipping percussion. Eventually a second and third vocal sample bounce off the first, gently pushing the track to another level.
The B1 track “BTX2” introduces a more tribal beat structure but the hi-energy is paired with a distinct dub feel which is overlayed with a vast string arrangement and long drawn vocal sample, the track relies on it’s atmospheres to pump up the intensity, subtle shifts and breaks take the listener to satisfying heights.
Another surprise is the closing Ambient track “BTX3” where Faki displays an emotional tenderness full of bliss and calmness that seems to build from deep down in Faki’s Techno roots right until the crashing finale and rounds off this varied and box breaking display of skill and panache.
Released: 08 April 2013
Virginia first saw light on Ostgut Ton featuring on Steffi's now infamous Yours & Mine album, her distinctive and powerful vocals shining through on lead track “Yours” in particular.
Now Virginia releases her first solo 12'' for the label, featuring 4 tactile, pushing and lovingly produced tracks, exploring some of the different zones that she explores while DJing. A DJ for many years, with her roots in the Munich scene, Virginia is now a resident at Panorama Bar, and continues to bring her soulful, expressive sound to clubs around the world, often layering live vocals over tracks as she plays.
“Neurosis” is a playful, uplifting night-time jacker, setting the tone with its warm and precise analog sound set, set off with sharp stabs and curious vocal cuts. This leads into “Shifter”, a more sinister, pacy cut with clear Detroit references – a snaking arpeggiated synth line telling a colourful story.
Breaking into some glorious first-wave Electro styled beats, “Loch & Hill” is a moody atmosphere-setter. An ensemble of beautifully produced synths and classic percussion melt in a moment of harmony and hypnosis.
Virginia then completes the EP with the wonderful “Tangish”, an infectious vocal-led song that flows naturally and elegantly with its classic Chicago style arrangement and lack of pretense. Upfront music with heart, clarity and longevity!
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With D & N's Rolando releases his second 12" for Ostgut Ton following his impressive label debut, the 5 to 8 EP which featured two tracks that also appeared on the Berghain 04 Mix CD. Now he serves up three new tracks that solidify his reputation as someone who is still pushing forward not content to rest on his laurels.
The title track “D & N's” prooves that the loop-master is still true to his Detroit heritage even though he resides in Scotland now. Pacing kicks and timid hi-hats take care of the hypnotic build-up you might expect from Rolando. Then deep sub bass and planar synths step in and create a firework that relentlessly winds itself deep into the subconscious, regardless of whether the listener is already dancing or just about to.
“We Will” embodies a mantra-like magic, but bleeping extensions and 4/4 severity create a sweeping unrest. Nervous, penetrating and restless, it’s a stirring Techno gem.
“Filthy” demands attention from the go. While a titanic beat unleashes a severe rhythm, tambourine delays and helicopter synths awaken the semiconsciousness – alarming chirrups inclusive. An elaborate devil of a club track that puts a deep final marker onto this well rounded EP.
An esteemed selector, producer and Panorama Bar resident DJ, Steffi presents the fifth mix CD in the series. Reflecting all the angles of her classically inspired, raw and profound sound, we are treated to a rather grand lesson in House music.
To accompany the CD release this 12'' features three new and exclusive tracks selected for the mix, from New York's Fred P (a.k.a Black Jazz Consortium), Amsterdam's Juju & Jordash, and Detroits' Big Strick. Each track contributes its own special element to the equation, helping define the sound of Steffi's Panorama Bar DJ sets.
The technoid-Chicago sound of Fred P's “Project 05” stands out beautifully, creating a melancholic and undulating mood with its pulsing bassline, smooth flowing pads and surprising non-linear arrangement. Here we find the producer, often aligned with Jus' Ed's Underground Quality crew, bridging the gap between classic US House and more modern, edgy club tracks.
A charismatic hardware-loving duo, Juju & Jordash have really come into their own in the last few years, with 2012's Techno Primitivism LP solidifying their warm live-jam aesthetic. “A Stab In The Dark” is a bubbling, acidic, freeform jam melting House and Disco into a shimmering, positively charged burner.
Steffi's love of the US's electronic legacy is clear, and so it's Detroit native and FXHE artist Big Strick who she picked as another exclusive for the mix. “Hayday” is a classic string-led cut in the true Motor City tradition. Cool, calm and wonderfully succinct in its use of textural percussion and shuffling, intelligent rhythms, Big Strick guides us down a smokey path into his gorgeously reduced world.
Ryan Elliott presents his second 12" EP for Ostgut Ton. His groovy US-Sound is still present in these new productions and the Stepmode EP builds a bridge between euphoria and darkish club moments. As with his previous 12“ for the label, the Rocksteady EP, the Detroit-born Elliott only needs two tracks on 45rpm to define his sound.
“Stepmode” begins with flowing hi-hats and scratched shakers as Ryan prepares the audience for his groove. The following combination of tender synths and funky vocals, that are merely touched upon and sent through the echos just at the right point in time, complete a flawless theme.
The two sides of this EP couldn’t fit together any better; perfect to submerge is the mood on “Stillsteppin” which feels darker compared to the euphoric counterpiece on the A-side. The hypnotic strings and delay infused strokes seem to melt almost unnoticed with the haunted stabs and driving bassline. By way of a classic arrangement the Stepmode EP reaches an end that leaves us surprisingly comfortable inside a musical discord.
With the Red Hook Soil EP Nick Höppner delivers a complex, many-facetted record. On the A-side Nick opens in a classic style, but “Red Hook Soil” quickly develops a modern, atmospheric mood. Tender stabs, soft synth washes and a metallic groove complement each other in surprising harmony.
The B-side opens with “Bait & Tackle” which creates a darker vibe. The track builds a bridge between genres within its driving beat, the inspired use of percussion, bass and synths with trance borrowings suceeds in creating an unexpectly gripping combination.
On the final track “Decal” industrial sounds and rich, hissing background noise meet pushing hi-hats over a dry, rolling kick drum, Nick adds sublte variations at the deepest levels throughout and so maintains a perfect balance and flow, creating a rich texture.
When Ostgut Ton released it’s first compilation Fünf in 2011 to mark the five year anniversary of the label, it was a huge undertaking featuring 23 artists on seven pieces of vinyl in a boxed set. The sound approach to include field recordings made inside the Berghain building in all recordings was ambitious but suited the signature production aesthetics of the Ostgut Ton artists perfectly. After the success of Fünf a new compilation on Ostgut Ton had to take a different approach.
With Various Ostgut Ton offered a space for the artists to release tracks a little off-center from their known production styles, the result is a double 12inch with eight different Ostgut Ton artists creating a journey through Ambient Electro styles to mellow Techno grooves. All brought together by careful compilation and mastering that creates a unified whole, spread over four sides of vinyl, housed in a luscious gatefold sleeve.
Barker & Baumecker make the start with “Meiose”, elements of which have been used in their recent live sets, a paradoxically fast ambient track that breaks all the rules, with a slow diving sub bass to boost. On “Grunewald2” by Fiedel (of MMM) – his second only contribution to the label after his killer track on Fünf – the Berghain resident picks up the heavy bass theme and wraps it in sweet melodies reminiscent of early Rephlex days.
Turning into darker alleys, Tobias. creates a slow, deep cinemascopic soundworld with “Dark & Troubling Things” that is at once disturbing and comforting but overall uniquely Tobias.
After the D & N's EP earlier this year veteran producer Rolando makes a welcome return to the label and surprises by also reaching into much more experimental territories. The brooding atmospheres build slowly and eventually a shuffling rhythm leads towards an entrance, only to break down again and keep the track inside the twilight zone.
It is left then to Marcel Fengler and Efdemin as DIN on the third side of the vinyl to pick up the beat and they do it with vibe. “You Are” is a minimal tech beast covered in abstract sound architecture, every bit as intriguing as their recent contribution to the MASSE project on Ostgut Ton.
This year has also seen the critically acclaimed debut 12“ from Virginia and with her contribution to Various she proves that she has not been resting one second but is constantly honing her production skills to create absolute gems like “Pulse”. She manages to extend the groove, sounding genuinely classic inside deep techno territory and lifts the spirits with the sweetest Acid line.
It remains to be seen who records under the secret moniker Crushed Soul, although you might hazard a rough guess, but the electro jacked bass line complemented by the lush string arrangement on “Shades” is yet another welcome branching out towards an updated, almost lost, classic sound as yet unheard in this form on Ostgut Ton.
The last track on the compilation mirrors this extended EP like a résumé with its slow building melodies, atmospheres and final kick attack. Function puts you in the mood, builds up your desire and finally gives you exactly what you want, complemented by the beautiful vocals of Stefanie Parnow, this most emotional of Function tracks is presented here in its final and, dare we say it, perfect form.
Luke Slater's L.B. Dub Corp alias makes a welcome return to Ostgut Ton. After the 2010 released Take It Down (In Dub) EP this second 12" also announces the release of the Unknown Origin album which comes out on Ostgut Ton in November.
On the three tracks for this EP L.B. Dub Corp digs deep inte the history of dance music, the euphoric early days of House make themselves apparent on “Turner's House” and are combined with tribal Dub elements on “Nearly Africa Dub”.
Benjamin Zephaniah, arguably the UK's premier wordsmith, lends his wit and wordplay to “I Have a Dream”, together with L.B. Dub Corp's treatments they catch the listener unawares. Zephaniah undercuts the closed-down thinking that plagues politics and the us-and-them thoughts that can creep into rallying speeches. Together they create a surreal hymn for our pluralistic times.
Atom™ & Tobias. deliver their first tracks recorded for Ostgut Ton on the Physik 1 EP. Both artists operate within a wide spectrum of electronic music, ranging from Ambient through Electro to Techno. For this collaboration on Ostgut Ton they opted for two classic Acid jams.
On the first side “Physik 44A” builds a steady sweep with its continually modulating Acid line and relentlessly driving percussion. Luscious beats are propelled through an intricately crafted hi-hat construction until the filter cut-off signals a break, only to allow the track to strike back in full force.
On the B-side “Physik G321V” focuses on the groove. The same subject with a different approach. A surprising balancing act between the serious mood layed down by the track and the combined playful vocal stabs that are comfortably bathed in Acid as though they always belonged there. A thoroughly timeless record.
After Function's epic debut album Incubation had several months to breathe, Ostgut Ton issues four remixes by Function contemporaries Rrose, Vatican Shadow, Recondite and NSI. Spread over four sides of vinyl they paint a picture rich in texture and atmospheres fitting it’s origin. Like the album, the remixes transcend club concepts of electronic music and Techno as they unravel in surrounding territories.
After initial releases on Sandwell District the darkly mysterious Rrose seems a natural choice for this EP and Rrose reveals a deep and instinctive understanding of Function’s sound world. The remix of “Against The Wall” picks up the hypnotic acid of the original and spins it into manic depths, relentless and powerful.
Vatican Shadow hones in on the fragile beauty present in the original “Psychic Warfare”. Like a different side of the same coin, the track portrays a far away view of the original, where memory enhances the warmth and the contrast between tension and ease in Function’s original.
German producer Recondite has been going from strength to strength in recent months and his remix of “Incubation (Ritual)” confirms this status, seemingly understated, his remix achieves a stunning grip with minimal texture, killer synth line and bass, effortlessly solid.
The last remix comes from artist pairing NSI. Max Loderbauer and Tobias Freund share between them the huge experience of half a life time in music and sound engineering and Freund also mixed the Incubation album. For their remix they tap into Function’s early music influences and layer elements of pioneering German electronic experimentation with ambient and psychedelic sensitivity, creating a dark, brooding version of “Inter”, that seems to close the circle between the then and now in living electronic music.
