Maarten Tjeerd
Lunetten EP

U-Trax: ...Ambient braindance from ItalyComprising Marco Simioni, Matteo Mazreku, and Francesco Pio Nitti, Qualia are a group of Italian producers who have never met in person. Due to the covid pandemic, they had to colaborate in the cloud, resulting in some exquisite ambient braindance.Having previously released records on Detroit Underground and fellow Utrecht label 030303 between them, they arrive on U-Trax with their eponymous EP of four deep tracks taking influence from a range of genres, including acid-techno, ambient, noise, and beyond.Leading the release, 'Perception' brings beautiful strings, funky 808 drums and acid tones for a deep and moving opener. The track clearly reveals the inspiration Qualia got for this release from the early Gescom releases. Stretched across the A2 is the ambient bliss of 'VV Cephei A', which brings Boards of Canada-esque drones and tones.On the flip, the title track 'Qualia' brings a headsy dose of braindance to the mix, recalling the early experiments of Aphex Twin with merciless 303 squelches and distant reverberations. Closing track 'Until I Break Apart' leads with dark, moody strings before a pounding kick introduces a stark tempo shift before deep ambient atmospheres engulf the final minutes.

A heady fusion of rock’s steely drive, cosmic trance, wiggy acid basslines and cavernous dub, Talk is at once rooted in the turn of the millennium while sounding utterly outside of space and time. A combination of coveted un- and self-released material, the record features a remix, specially commissioned by Betonska, from Naone.Jin Won Lee (이진원), otherwise known as Gazaebal, is a Korean producer and DJ whose sensual, spacious approach to electronica is rooted in his background as a sound engineer. Having begun his career in New York, in recording studios working with the likes of the Wu-Tang Clan and Janet Jackson, his expansive creative repertoire further includes media art and chart-topping K-pop. A member of Tacit Group, a collective creating algorithmic and audiovisual performances, Gazaebal is presently best known for ambient-adjacent soundscapes, yet in the halcyon late 1990s and early 2000s, he synergised a uniquely potent take on club music.The titular track was initially released in 1999 on the independent imprint dmstrax, established by Gazaebal’s agent and wife, Nine. First appearing on techno@kr, a compilation CD dedicated to Korean electronic musicians, ‘Talk’ is an hybrid, electro-punk anthem. Colliding sung-screeched Korean lyrics with heavy breakbeat, its abrasive textures are delivered with ultra-slick orchestration. Halfway through, the jittery breaks collapse, reprised by momentous four-to-the-floor. It’s this dichotomy between poise and power that characterises the record as Gazaebal flexes his ear for intricate melodies and rocketing build.Composed alongside Big Hit Productions founder and BTS songwriter Mr. "Hitman" Bang, the original version of 'And So On' was not available for re-release due to licensing difficulties. But thankfully the multitrack was well preserved. Utilising these components, Nawon Ha (AKA Korean-but-Netherlands-based artist Naone) re-imagines the song for Betonska. Remixed with her own hypnotic vocals, she inflects the track with mesmerising, multi-layered dimensions; a fractal, downtempo trance number that connects two generations of underground electronic musicians from South Korea.From the pulverising kickdrum of ‘Gilda’ to ‘Spiral's acidic dub fuzz, Talk moves between sharp crests, twists, and turns, enveloping driving 4/4 and shuffling half-time. Presented as a mix-friendly mini-album, the carefully selected 6 tracks are ideally tailored to DJ-level quality and loudness. As much suited to the psychedelic rave scene of yesteryear as they are to contemporary dancefloors, Gazaebal’s productions are defined by his idiosyncrasies. Melding the sheen of tight-production with a flagrant DIY spirit, his music assuages the high-commercialism of the 2000s, resulting in a sound that’s as definitely punchy as it is intoxicatingly precise.

Efficient Space: ...3AM Spares is a new compilation of Australian Electronic Dance Music selected by Andras and Instant Peterson, encompassing the darker sounds and later nights of the 1990s and beyond. Following on from forerunner compilation Midnite Spares, this double LP draws from local 12” releases, CDRs and the archives of community radio station 3RRR FM to make a diverse and pumping scene audible once more. No longer confined to beer barns and back rooms, this generation of producers, DJs, clubbers and ravers spilled out into pavilions, warehouses and paddocks, embracing a new culture of machine-metaphor and chemical love.Future Sound of Melbourne’s warehouse triptych Resist The Beat embodies a time when the country’s youth united with juggernaut stamina, partying beyond the long arm of the law. Restored from the ARIA award-winning trio’s original DATs, this debut 12” incited label offers from Jeff Mills, Frank De Wulf and Carl Cox.Released by the likes of Clan Analogue, Creative Vibes, Volition, DanceNet, Juice and Psy-Harmonics, this era’s material has evaded sufficient digital documentation until now, some lost in the decommission of Angelfire, Tripod and Geocities websites. Often these bedroom experiments and one-off collaborations existed solely for compilation inclusions, a plausible scenario for the mysterious Inner Harmony. In the case of Tetrphnm, graphic artist Jeremy Dower’s glacial sub-bass was digitised from the only known CD-R copy, preserved by the 3RRR FM library.

Music written and produced by Francis LatreilleMixed at Jump Source Studios by Francis LatreilleMastered by Nik KozubArtwork, layout and executive design by Jesse Osborne-LanthierJewelry by Ulysse DelezenneGlyph illustrations by Benoit St-JacquesFeatures by Adam Hodgins on ‘Learn To Fly’ and ‘To See Our Secret Die’, Adam Feingold on ‘Eternal’, Jamie Krasner on ‘Wake’, Jesse Osborne-Lanthier on ‘Basalt Tones’, and Benjamin Bondy on ‘Moonstone’Violin by Jacob LessardSaxophone by Emmanuel ThibauPhysically distributed by One Eye WitnessSpecial thanks to Patrick Holland and Elise Duhaime

Scrnxxxshdw: ...Screen Shadow is an amorphous presence slithering through electronic music’s dark, jagged and dreamy corridors. Emerging this January with a duo of debut EPs, Black (Vegan Tinder Lord) and White (Hexxex) , the shadowy project blends pummelling techno, industrial grit and experimental noise for a mood-spanning sound inspired by everything from Google Street View to visiting the dentist.The Black EP gleans from the heavier end of the club music spectrum, plunging into a hardcore well of nosebleed kicks and synapse-frying synths that bang with raw dancefloor energy. The White EP pauses for reflection, transforming Screen Shadow’s spiky reveries into tightly-woven technicolor dreamscapes.