Koutaro Fukui - Between Objects [eko004]

I have to admit that I couldn't really connect with Eko's extremely minimal releases so far. With ambient, the movie in your head is even more important than with other styles - and Koutaro Fukui succeeds with this fantastically. He kicks off with a very atmospheric track that sounds like generated from one single synth. With "Fltic", Fukui aborts this extreme minimalism and combines electronica beats with wonderful melancholic piano and strings instead. Later on, he even makes use of an accordion and finishes with nice samples and noise on "Ordinary Kitchen".

4x MP3, 256kbps, 51.0MB ZIP-file (incl. cover):
Download here.

Official text:
Not available...

V.A. - Panorama [dn005]

Dreiton is one of the few of the lately founded netlabels that shows a coherent concept. Release number five is a first overview and an excellent opportunity to invite some well-known acts: Lod from Sinergy and Daniel Stefanik from instabil.org. All together, eight artists show their definitiv of Dub here. Most of them work very deliberate and elegiac, but two tracks appear somewhat unfitting: The contributions by Dieter Krause and Frank Hellmond are contemporary minimal for sure, but feel like candy with red wine given such hypnotic numbers such as Dreiton's "Boom" and Chris Airs "7th son".

8x MP3, 192kbps, 72.8MB ZIP-file (incl. cover):
Download here.

Official text:
We got it: Our first compilation gonna hit the streets! We called it Panorama and it presents artists and projects from the international electronic music scene who have one thing in common: a tendency to reduction, to minimalism, to the essential. Listen and tell!

Buzz - Revelation [pp017md]

Unfortunately, there are only a few netlabels that explicitly cover drum&bass. But still, there is Plain Audio: This is their 17thn release - and it's another highlight again. Three atmospheric tracks with driving beats and hectic percussion. One or two effects might be a bit too much of it, but floating fragile soundscapes compensate with a wonderful ambivalent mood. And it's nice to see which musical bandwith can be covered by three different tracks - keeping true to the genre, of course: "Dragon Love" reminds me of Alex Reece while the dark "Revalation" is a typical reference to Virus.

3x MP3, 320kbps, 48.0MB ZIP-file (incl. cover):
Download here.

Official text:
Another stunning release from Buzz starts off with "Revelation", a piece that truly lives up to its name by providing cinematic soundscapes and eerie effects. Once the bassline gets you, the track grows deeper and deeper, drilling its way right into the heart of darkness.

The second track goes by the name of "Dragon Love" and shows some of that old school droppin' science vibes. Retro fx and strong bass make this a burner. Buzz proves once again that he's capable of building atmospheres like hardly anyone else.

Last but not least there's "The Ninth Wave": a mad beat-shuffling journey reminiscent of Reinforced's glorious days, exploring the possibilities and depths of breakbeat science.

Nicorola - Bitstick E.P. [1bit015]

Checkt the official text... =)

5x MP3, 256kbps, 31.8MB ZIP-file (incl. cover): Download here.

Official text:
After two compilation contributions, Nico finally delivers a whole new EP. Many people have been waiting for it - when we were talking to listeners of 1bit, we heard quite often that Nicorolas 1bit #003 is their favourite. So here he is, our guy from Berlin with his unique blend of broken beats and lovely digital synths. And again, we are stunned by the maximum of funkyness he squeezes into his tracks with such a minimal sound setup.

Spenza - acidQuest EP [vxnet001]

Vakant X seems to be some kind of special gift for fans of the straigth-minimal label Vakant. All stuff that does not fit the vinyl edition seems to be given to the web audience – which is a welcome playground for artists. Following the video works of Chris De Luca (one half of Funkstörung) and Spenza himself, the latter strikes back this time with pure digital madness: The first audio-only release on Vakant X is perfect IDM – hectic beats, disturbing noises, crazy sound morphing. According to the title, Acid has to be part of the program ("acidQuest") but for me feels like the weakest part of the EP. "antiStraight" uses Atari-like sounds while knowing to surprise with melancholic vibes towards the end. However, highlight of this EP surely is "rep eat": Starting sluggishly but developing into a sheer fireworks of Electronica.

4x MP3, 192kbps, all together 42.7MB
Download here.

Official text:
Fast and packed with breaks and noises. After his videos kunstFehler and schnittMenge Spenza is delivering 4 new tracks in abstract jungle/breakbeat - style.

A.C. Projects - Projections [txtn032]

Textone – run by Jay Haze – is regarded as one of the untouchable establishments of netaudio. One of the reasons for this surely is the popularity of Haze himself and his many vinyl activities (Contexterrior, Tuning Spork) which undoubtedly have helped to introduce the subject of net music to many listeners. However, even pioneers are not immune towards criticism and it has to be noted honestly that there hasn’t been much output by Textone lately. A short time ago, there even was the information that Textone will be closed down since it has passed its climax. Bearing this in mind, this release is totally surprising: "Projections" is one more meditation over the never-ending topic named "minimal" – in seven extracts. Of course, that’s not the latest craze out there – but we shouldn’t expect that from every new release either. Especially not as these tracks here are extremely hypnotic in their slowly developing arrangement and absolutely superb production – might be the perfect stuff for certain moods...

7x MP3, 192kbps, all together 86.5MB:
Download here.

Official text:
Too long to quote - see webpage!

And/Or - Snow Effect [mi053]

Bleed has categorized this as IDM ("Intelligent Dance Music") in his de:Bug podcast - but I must admit that I have something totally different in mind when speaking of IDM. However, this definitely is great relaxing music from Japan, no matter how you call it: Very calm and harmonic. Of course, there are strange noises here and there - but after all, it's absolutely blessing for stressed ears. Slowly walking broken beats, deep piano lines and a lot of echo - very touching. Even more astonishing is the fact that this already is Mimi's 53rd (!) release.

4x MP3, 192kbps, all together 31.6MB:
Download here.

Official text:
Snow Effects is a collection of 4 melodic minimalist downtempo tunes flavored with hints of acoustic and piano solos. There is also a little IDM/glitch put together by a classically-trained electronica.

Stefan Tretau - Rue De Commerce [brq020]

Broque.de is one of the few labels that practice the fusion of the publishing media vinyl and MP3. Accompanying vinyl release number four by Stefan Tretau, net-release number 20 brings you eigth tracks/remixes. The interesting thing about it is that the remixers didn't hear the original - instead they were only given a pack of samples. The original of "Rue de commerce" is a nice Techhouse track with cool shakers. Phonout transports this into Breakbeat, Georg Neufeld into atmospheric, pushing Techno and Sinus Force's rework reminds me of Gigolo, Bpitch or Lasergun. However, the real highlight of this EP are the four (!) remixes by an artist called "Freund der Familie". Two of them ("komma strüsch mix" and "abakus rmx") are terrific pieces of deep atmospheric minimal dubby stuff. Excellent in production and far ahead...

8x MP3, 192kbps, 66.6MB ZIP-file:
Download here.

Official text:
Suitable to the current Broque.de-record are we releasing a new track by Stefan Tretau, which is complemented by many remixes. What makes this remake special is the fact, that the remixer never heard the original before and had only a sample-package to their disposal. This makes the result much more interesting. You will get music between drifting raving hymn and tasty experimental melting pot.

Kultobjekt - Home is... [1bit014]

As usual - you've got to stick to the official text...
=)

6x MP3, 256kbps, 77.6MB ZIP-file (incl. cover):
Download here.

Official text:
With this EP, Mirsch a.k.a. Kultobjekt once again proves himself as 1bit wonder's probably most productive artist: Six new tracks right out of the fridge, cool and refreshing. No cheap fast food, but exquisite delicatessen. Tasty fare between minimal and dub. For ears, body and... tongue? Whatever you like - have fun!

Juno6 - Crete [tro007]

Juno6 - a young guy living practically next door to me - has already given an appearance on our latest 1bit wonder, the "Celebration Compilation #2". This is his first netlabel-EP, released on diligent new imprint Tropic. He kicks off with the dreamy "chania", going on to "serpentine" - a really superb dancefloor rocker. Weird sequence he uses, but highly effective, I'm sure. Followed by "sfinari" - a very slow, wonderfully atmospheric piece of melancholy, using a real sample from the roar of the surf. "Crete" finishes off with a piece of playful minimal techno (which is not very exact - Juno6 always shows some house influences as well), "syia 3". Very nice release!

4x MP3, 192kbps, 36.9MB ZIP-file (incl. cover):
Download here.

Official text:
juno6 provides for the first sunbeams this year and prepares for us a perfect mix of minimal, ambient and housy sounds.

V.A. - Cooking with herbs [ecb002]

Epicure Business is a label operating from Thuringia, which is only a few minutes by car away from where I live. It's nice to watch people starting their own projects and developing within this process. I have to admit that their first release was not my sense of taste, but this one is: Five Tracks by the artists Less, Insert84 and Gunne (from 1st Decade). Gunne surprised me with his dryly kickin' minimal shit, with 1st decade in mind I expected something different... Insert84 and Less stay minimal as well, with the first one moving on to somewhat dreamy, almost melodic structures while the latter unleashes two superb bassy movers, "don't grab my fuckin money" being my favorite on this release. Should get some dancefloor testing soon... =)

5x MP3, 320kbps, 59.3MB ZIP-file (incl. cover):
Download here.

Official text:
Not available...

Ontagon - Forgetful EP [post-digital]

I don't really get how this netlabel works but I guess they don't care - which seems to fit with the sound as well. This EP starts with two weird tracks somewhere between ambient and IDM. It goes on with some more relaxt, nice, soft breakbeats till it flows into a sound that is something of everything: Some oriental influences here ("180 degrees"), some pop there ("forget to remember"). Sometimes it gets melancholic, but even though it combines all these different elements it never turns kitschy. At the end they even serve some Hiphop - amazingly good one ("grandfather clock") - and something to laugh at ("rain on my parade"). Great stuff that is!

7x MP3, 192kbps, all together 34.8MB:
Download here.

Official text:
this 7-song ep is a varied and strange journey of diverse electronic songs. from the glittery idm synth intro to the dark industrial middle-eastern 180 degrees, this ep defies categorization. originally released on the ontagon.com site in january of 2005, its rerelease on post-digital in january 2006 will bring it to new listeners.