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EMOTIONAL RESPONSE

Emotional Response is delighted to present the debut EP of Aaron Coyes (Peaking Lights / Leisure Connection) new project, as Exotic Gardens. An additional music universe as his love of dub expands to include new wave, goth and acid psychedelics across 5 catchy, bass heavy songs.

While the continuing journey of his duo band, Peaking Lights, with his wife Indra, earns plaudits and fans alike, his early years as a one-man lysergic music polymath that saw his youth in punk and hardcore bands, expanded during a mid-90s burst of “living in San Francisco” creative expansion, devouring music, genres, and influences for life.

Started as a sub-project to Peaking Lights and his personal dub excursions, Exotic Gardens pollinates a rich tapestry. Recording through the pandemic in their then home in Amsterdam, before being archived, assembled, and completed following the move back home to the West Coast, California.

Re-embracing that love of his inner goth, the analogue warmth is all there, now featuring Coyes’ dub-languidity of stripped drum machines, widescreen bass, haunting guitar lines and an almost idle voice to peddle true, raw songs.

Combined, the pop layer of hooks and tight grooves instantly catch you. Opener and EP title, 'Drugs & TV' is the perfect anthem for the Exotic Gardens sound, before the dubwave of 'Last Of The Light' and 'Tonite' shimmer that yearning melancholy of youth.

In the almost 10 minute dub house opus 'Organize Your Movement' an appreciation and understanding of the psychoactive properties of the Roland 303 and 909, they also hark to a love of industrial / noise bands, a lineage from the death pulse of his cult project Rahdunes through to sound design and sound system culture to the pop-dub psychedelics with Indra, now melded here to include a dark assault, whispering invocations and pulsing pads.

To close, 'Turn It On' is a roaming multi-genre evocation, an exotic end from this constant troubadour, cassette junkie, record dealer, sound system builder, always looking to get back on the road, to live to roam.


STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Peaking Lights' Aaron Coyes unveils his new project focussing on dubby goth-disco. It's a mesmerizing set, drenched in a reverb-soaked reverie and driven by Coyes hypnotic basslines.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Drugs & TV
A2. Last Of The LIght
A3. Tonite
B1. Organize Your Movement
B2. Turn It On

Roy Of The Ravers

White Line Sunrise III (Part 1)

The return of "Roy Of The Ravers" is always a moment for Emotional Response. Alongside, the infinitely heralded debut that was the "2 Late 4 Love" EP in 2016 and the later "Emotinium ’23" remixes, there has been the "While Line Sunrise" series examining the ambient, experimental electronics meets braindance techno releases that showcased lost archives from the late 90s to today, here reaching the 3rd installment with 2 EPs of more machine-driven acid funk.

Following the grand expanse of double LP "White Line Sunrise II" and its subsequent double pack follow up "White Line Sunrise II.I (Le Roy Soliel)", "III (3)" aims predominantly for the dancefloor. The uplifting techno of opening "Primavera Anjo" and squelching TB303 of "Plant Earth" are premier Roy, hypnotic, percussive, psychedelic purity for the feet.

The flip allows head room for the mind, the deep chords and arpeggios of "G-Force" signal the vortex shift, before the cinematic, rolling breaks and double bass of "Glass Knife" sweep far and wide. Recording over 25 years ago, the changing time signatures highlight the influence of (modern) classical and even jazz on Roy, pulsing, permeating, and pushing his sound in the moment, music thought lost that is gladly now, again found. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Roy's back and he's sounding as good as ever, delivering two volumes of fresh AF acid box jams in his own well-lauded style.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Primavera Anjo
A2. Planet Earth
B1. G-Force
B2. Glass Knife

The second part of Roy’s return to Emotional Response and the "While Line Sunrise" series dives further in old hard drives and DATs to unearth more lost techno for the brain, heart and feet.

Ensuing melody for driving beats, "Fenix Haus 6" is a TB303 blast. Electro meets acid, the focus is on the rhythm, percussion is pushed to the fore and the rest will follow. "Exit Ren8" brings some melody touches to the jacked-up ride, acid melodies ride classic Roy beats, programming for the mind and soul.

As with Part 1, here the flip expands the retinae of the found sound, "Cristia Theme" with flourishes of IDM and industrial touches, wrapped in a sheen of acid squelches and snap hats.

The series completes with the theme, the ambient meets kosmiche of "White Line Sunrise III". Minimalist keys against cathedral sweeps, motorik drums float in and are gone, a grandiose ending with, as always, a light hearted ending, Roy’s return is a welcome and an intriguing interlude. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Probably my favourite of the two ROTR records we're lucky to received this week. Sounding both anthemic and underground in equal measure, heating up his mainframes till they're sizzling hot. There's no-one quite like our Roy!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Fenix Haus 6
A2. Exit Ren8
B1. Crista Theme
B2. White Line Sunrise III

Emotional Response returns with a second volume of its All Trades compilation which is named after its own NTS show. It is just as vast both in terms of style but also the eras it spans with a mix of dub, new wave, slow motion electronics and plenty in between. Tolouse Low Trax kicks off with the filthy dirty and seriously heavy dub glitch of 'Ossia' to provide an early highlight before the likes of Al Wootton get percussive and tribal with 'Altai' and HLM38 channels some African Head Charge on another devastating dub cut. Later on, London's Good Block brings a little more light and sunshine with their lovely 'Strong Relax.'

STAFF COMMENTS

Mine says: Volume 2 of 'All Trades' sounds just as exciting as its companion. This one's definitely more on the dubbier side so if that's your jam then don't snooze!

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1. Tolouse Low Trax - "Ossia Dub"
2. T Woc - "Luminescence"
3. Al Wootton - "Altai"

Side 2
1. Iro Aka - "Generations"
2. HLM38 - "Mystery Train Riddim"
3. Jamie Paton - "Lost Margins"

Side 3
1. Good Block - "Strong Relax"
2. While My Sequencer Gently Bleeps - "Ready"
3. Anatolian Weapons - "Mountain Echoes"

Side 4
1. Shelter - "The Four Knights" (dub)
2. Zongamin - "GGANTIJA"
3. Akulina - "Waiting"

You can never really pin down what the excellent Emotional Repose label does and that is exactly the sinking behind the title of its superb All Trades show on NTS. The sheer eclecticism of that show is now reflected in this new two-part compilation, also called All Trades, which offers up little morsels of what they do, something like a sonic tasting menu at a fancy restaurant. There is chugging electronic dub from Apiento & Tepper, industrial clatter from Black Bones, cosmic ambient breakbeat from Paperclip Minimiser and blissed out dub from Yamila & SoFa Elsewhere amongst many more highlights.

STAFF COMMENTS

Mine says: I love a good compilation and Emotional Response deliver not one but two superb ones in one go (Vol. 2 also out now!). Some seriously good selections from the downtempo realm!

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1. Apiento & Tepper - "606 Dog"
2. Other Lands - "The Old Ways"
3. Datasal - "Sea Palace"

Side 2
1. Black Bones - "Tipping Point"
2. Froid Dub - "Item By Item" (dub)
3. Paperclip Minimiser - "Planarian Wormhole"

Side 3
1. Cosmo Vitelli & Die Wilde Jagd - "Elixir"
2. Amy Denio - "Fresh Fish"
3. Exotic Gardens - "Soundwaves & Dark Caves"

Side 4
1. Yamila & SoFa Elsewhere - "Yo Tampoco"
2. Valentina Magaletti - "Radio77"
3. Ocean Moon - "Light Vibrations"

No Monster Club

Deadbeat Effervescent

    The improbable missing link between ABBA and Daniel Johnston - RIYL Sparks, Electric Light Orchestra, Orange Juice.

    Their music has been variously referred to as "garage rock" (Austin Town Hall), "no bullshit pop" (Tiny Mix Tapes)
    "jangle-thrash" (My Old Kentucky Blog) 
    " lo-fi-tropicalsurf-pop" (Nialler9) 
    " b e d r o o m indie" (Impose Magazine)
    "sugary artpop" (Gimme Tinnitus)
    "new wave-y indie rock" (Brooklyn Vegan)
    "like a stripped-down, sugar high Pet Sounds" (NYLON Magazine) 
    "a bit like Girl Talk" (Vice Magazine)

    TRACK LISTING

    1. Waterfight
    2. Save The Circus
    3. Black And White
    4. Spaceman's Gold
    5. Telly Worldwide
    6. MacGuyver
    7. The Trundling Path
    8. Ctrl-Alt-Delete
    9. A Bugle Call
    10. Case By Case Basis
    11. Ticker Tape Parade
    12. Walk The Plank 

    Luke Wyatt

    Teen Hawk

      As one of the rising stars of the East Coast US electronic scene, Luke’s Torn Hawk releases on the cult L.I.E.S records introduced his cut up and glitchy take on R&B and house that have recently edged deeper and darker in to the noise and techno realms associated with the likes of Demdike Stare and Regis.

      This has been complimented by two recent DVDs, self-released under his own name. Mixing his day as a professional multi-media artist with his night as an increasingly experimental musician, they have gained considerable acclaim that can’t be pigeon holed as yet another Brooklyn house-head.

      However, as his first white label debut EP testified, there is also an ethereal and at times (*cough*) Balearic feel buried deep within this music and it is here, on 'Teen Hawk', this is as evident as his drone-based pieces.

      While the looping percussion and rhythms of 'Bertone Stratos' and 'I Recommend Starman' echo the ethereal beauty of Cluster and La Dusseldorf, they are also mixed with the darker ambient and loop-based 'Wrong Crowd' or 'Greystoke One'.

      Riding throughout much of this is his beloved looped guitar and eye for a breakbeat. Never more evident that on the album closer, 'Time For Thick'. Here his influences mesh to create a swirling, blissed out, hip-hop meets Aphex MDMA anthem (minus the sexist gangster rap - phew!)


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