Vinyl Update

Âme - Mixing [3x12", Sonar Kollektiv]
Ibadan - Timbuktu [2x12", Ibadan]

Âme are at the moment Tha Shiznit Absolute, as you well may know. They just released a mix for Sonar Kollektiv and the playlist is about the most surprising of all times. We're talking Manuel 'Ashra' Goettsching, Carl Craig (the legendary Jonny L remix, previously only available on promo), Derrick May (a remix of his I did not even know existed), Laurie Spiegel (taken from the Anthology of American Music!!!) and New Musik's '24 Hours from Culture' all on one album. Add some Italo, some house, some disco and of course Âme themselves. Creaming-tastic! And then I have not even heard the mix itself, which contains a few additional tracks.

They also made no less than four mixes for the new Ibadan release, with a Main Mix, a Beatless Mix and an Outro Mix, plus an Original Mix, all good. An altogether deeper affair than their previous dance floor scorchers, you still recognize the Ibadan Afro elements, but it proves that Âme are from now on operating in a league of their own. Think Carl Craig, Ashra Tempel and Maurizio sharing the stage for a Fela Kuti homage and you're not even halfway there. You thought Carl Craig's remix for DFA was the best thing you've heard this year? Think again.

Cobblestone Jazz - India in Me [12", Wagon Repair]
Lazy Fat People - Shinjuku [12", Wagon Repair]

Mathew Jonson's stuff with Cobblestone Jazz is usually more restrained than his own infinite sounding free techno workouts and that's the case here too. You hear the typical Jonson elements but it is all more minimal and thinned out, without the climaxes. Nevertheless very inspiring.

Lazy Fat People are doing beautiful things at the moment (see below). 'Shinjuku' can be situated somewhere between electro house and minimal, but it is the trippy breakdowns that really do it. Very now and very good.

Audion - Mouth to Mouth [12", Spectral]

Scorcher alarm! Big room techno of the highest momentum. I do not know what it is about Dear's stuff that takes you away so easily. It is like nothing is happening (that simple piano-loop!) but you are transported deep into space anyway. Without any doubt one of the big tunes of this fall.

Solieb - Isotropy/Stay High [12", Maschine]

Lazy Fat People's mix of 'Isotropy' is pure lysergic fun, sealing the gap between minimal, proggy techno and neo-trance. Like with the Audion track at first it seems like nothing is happening at all, but it builds and builds, filling in the minimal structures with plenty of trippy details gathered from what seems a hundred different electronic music styles. Restrained is the new minimal it would seem.

Eat - Mission Elevator [12", Diamonds & Pearls]

Luciano's track on the flip is not too bad but far from his most interesting track. But no worries when Eat's 'Mission Elevator' is a scorcher beyond belief. Exciting techno with lots of industrial noises and acidic smudges that just builds and builds, with enough breakdowns and climaxes to make you shit your pants. Classy too that they keep it all up until the end, instead of, like many of their peers, just opting for a beat-and-cymbal outro.

I:Cube - Acid Tablet EP [12", Versatile]

Versatile delivers again with three supa-dupa tracks from the man-who-can-do-no-wrong. As times dictate dancing its legs off somewhere between acid house, electro and techno, with some nice dub touches on the last track. Buy now or regret later.

Putsch '79 - Doin' It Remixes [12", Clone]

A discoid remix care of Major Swellings aka Prins Thomas and on the flip nu-italo vibes by Daniel 'Balihu' Wang, plus an additional edit by the Putsch-duo themselves. Fat sounds a go-go for your pleasure. Nothing too new or revolutionary but not too bad either.

In the meantime still have to get hold of that new Planet E, that, according to reliable sources, is one of the records of the year. And the new 40-minute Villalobos is on the way too. High times, people, high times.