Info:
Sonic Groove welcomes close friend Henning Baer to the SG artist roster. Henning is one half of the team behind one of Berlin’s most successful techno events “Grounded Theory”. He along with Milton Bradley also own the recording label K209 which has released his own solo work. Henning makes his debut on Sonic Groove with “Drop Out” EP. A stunning 4 song release that spans a wide spectrum of dark, deep, gritty, analogistic industrial techno & rhythmic noise sounds layered over 4/4 and broken beat rhythms.
Press Info:
After releasing the first single “MAN MADE MACHINE” featuring Martin L. Gore by MOTOR we are very happy to announce the full MOTOR album release “MAN MADE MACHINE”, TODAY, April 18th on the brand new sub division of Chris Liebing’s Create Learn Realize label: CLR X! MOTOR have recorded a song based album with some of the most intriguing voices of the world of electronic music, such as Martin L. Gore, Gary Numan, Douglas McCarthy, Billie Ray Martin and Reni Lane and deliver the perfect soundtrack for all those who are in love with electronic music. MOTOR´s influences reach from Synth Pop, Dance, EBM to Electro Clash, without ever watering down the powerful essence of this pioneering act. MAN MADE MACHINE is a unique and haunting album full of dark and melodic songs that you should definitely pay attention to.
There are several ways to try to sum up the history of MOTOR. Chronologically listing all of the releases, significant events, enthusiastic critics and superlative comments, awards won and goals achieved in a comparatively short period of time would be one of them. It would certainly be a quite impressive list, but it would not fully pay justice to the phenomenon of MOTOR, as this phenomenon is clearly more than just the sum of its parts. Sometimes less is more, and that is why this brief history more than anything focuses on some of the milestones in the rise of MOTOR, as well as some seemingly random anecdotes, which at the end of the day impressively stand for the very essence of this extraordinary act. But first of all, the good news: MOTOR is about to release another album, which opens a new chapter in the history of the band. After completing three massively successful and critically acclaimed techno albums, Bryan Black and Oly Grasset, who together form the duo MOTOR, have shifted gears and recorded a song-based vocal album by the name of Man Made Machine. The album was conceived during their World tour with Depeche Mode in 2009 when Dave Gahan fell ill and the band found themselves in a hotel in Berlin with time on their hands. It features the vocalists Martin L. Gore (Depeche Mode), Gary Numan, Billie Ray Martin (S’ Express, Electribe 101) and Motown’s rising new star Reni Lane. Just recently, when MOTOR secretly played the first single from the upcoming album (also titled Man Made Machine) on a BBC radio broadcast, it got over 10.000 views within hours of being ripped and broadcasted on youtube. The reactions from Depeche Mode and MOTOR fans are absolutely ecstatic. One online comment, which has often been quoted and agreed to, is that Man Made Machine sounds like the modern version of the Depeche Mode track Personal Jesus – a royal honour for the guys from MOTOR. Sometimes music critics are still having difficult times grasping or quantifying just exactly how significant MOTOR´s contribution to modern music actually was and is, but there is hope that the upcoming album Man Made Machine will add to a deeper understanding of the importance of this unique act. It is no coincidence that the album features some of the key figures in the evolution of electronic music. MOTOR have played as the main support act on sold out tours for Gary Numan, Nitzer Ebb and Depeche Mode and have been considered one of their best received support acts. They have performed on the main stages of all the top festivals with acts like Daft Punk, Kraftwerk, Soulwax, Justice, etc. They are known for having one of the most explosive and entertaining live shows in dance music. As an almost logical consequence of their uncompromising attitude and trend-setting style, the fashion world has also taken notice of this powerful act. Raf Simons uses MOTOR music on his website and in his catwalk shows and Rick Owens used the MOTOR track “Ice” for the presentation of his 2012 Menswear collection. It is interesting that a fashion designer who´s look has been described as “glamour-meets-grunge” and who says about his own work that “It’s about an elegance tinged with a bit of the barbaric, ” chose the music of MOTOR as soundtrack for his latest fashion show. Other than that, MOTORs music has been featured on various HBO and Showtime TV programs, in films and in several Playstation and Nintendo video games. Their impressive list of remixes includes Precious by Depeche Mode. In Mixmag 2006, Depeche Mode actually listed this one as their favourite DM remix of all time. This should in itself be enough to create some pleasant anticipation of the upcoming album and tour from these unconventional techno pioneers. Just one more remarkable aspect regarding the long-player Man Made Machine is the fact that it is going to be released on a new sub-division of Chris Liebing´s CLR (Create Learn Realize) label, one of the leading German techno imprints. The branch is called CLRX and is out to explore new sonic universes of a musically more complex, song-structured nature. The founding of CLRX shall help people to distinguish easily between the classic CLR sound and the slightly different one of this new venture. Bryan Black just released his first, tremendously successful and critically acclaimed solo EP (Black Asteroid – Engine 1) on CLR. After working together so successfully on this project, the label and artist started talking about also working together on the release of the new MOTOR album and finally came to the conclusion to go for it. Chris Liebing had always been inspired by the out of the ordinary techno approach of MOTOR and shares many of the same influences. He and the label team are highly thrilled about this collaboration. So please watch out for Man Made Machine, the fourth album of MOTOR, to be released on CLR X of March the 30th of 2012. The accompanying video for the first single Man Made Machine is a spectacle in itself and is the perfect introduction to the dark and mysterious world featured on the breath-taking new LP, Man Made Machine.
Snippets:
Album Mega-Mix:
Official Video:
“Man Made Machine” [feat. Martin L. Gore]
Unofficial Video:
“The Knife” [feat. Douglas McCarthy]
Info:
On 6th February 2012 electro-pop icons Goldfrapp release The Singles, a career-spanning overview featuring tracks from their five critically acclaimed albums, alongside two brand new songs written especially for this release: ‘Yellow Halo’ – a slow building synth-pop wonder, and the introspective and defiant new wave ballad ‘Melancholy Sky’.
The Singles, is the first compilation from the band, taking in the cinematic electronica of their Mercury shortlisted debut album Felt Mountain, through the electro glam of Black Cherry, the Grammy nominated, half-million selling dance pop of Supernature, the Pagan, electro-folk of Seventh Tree and last year’s, top 10 album, the hands-in-the-air, retro-futuristic Head First.
Release Date:
26th March 2012 (UK), 23rd March 2012 (Germany)
Format:
CD, vinyl+CD & digital
Tracklist: 01)
V1
02)
V2
03)
V3
04)
V4
Press Info:
Mute announced the release of CARTER TUTTI VOID’s “Transverse”, a unique collaboration from Chris Carter & Cosey Fanni Tutti (Throbbing Gristle) and Nik Void (Factory Floor), out on vinyl, CD and download on 26 March 2012.
Transverse is a unique collaboration, created especially for the legendary Short Circuit presents Mute festival at the Roundhouse, London in 2011.
The tracks were prepared in the studio and then performed and recorded live in front of an audience. Outside of the trio, these recordings were unheard prior to the festival and the popularity of the performance left many being turned away at the door.
Mute is proud to make this groundbreaking recording available and to be working again with two of electronic music’s true pioneers and one of its new trail blazers.
Mute also announced that there will be other releases of stuff recorded during/for the festival.
Info:
Purity are London drum n’ bass duo Jill Stark and Florence Briggs who write, produce and programme their tracks with an agenda to create their own original and distractive sound that is Purity. The result is a mix of song based and instrumental tracks, energetic, melodic, pounding and unique. Though inspired and influenced by a range of musical tastes, its their love of drum and bass, dub step, rock and electronica that defines their tracks.
Their new album ‘Sliding into Chaos’ is out online through itunes, Amazon, CD baby and all other online distributors.
Purity originally started in 1997. Jill wrote and produced the first album and put the then 3 piece band together. The third member of the band was Icy Lazare on bass/keyboards.
They were the first band in the world to be signed to a record label from having their songs/tracks heard on-line. Several US record companies got in touch with Purity followed by UK labels. Purity’s sound was very much ahead of the time, comprising of song based drum n bass tracks with guitar, bass as well as instrumental tracks. Purity signed to Tommyboy Records New York producing and playing live to around half a million European audiences as support to Depeche Mode gaining rave reviews. The tracks can be heard on the album from 1997 ‘Bullets for Words’ which came out on Tommyboy Records. ‘Adrenalin’ v1 was the theme tune to the wrestling series WCW Nitro and found on the computer game. Jill also remixed Garbage “I think I’m paranoid’.
Purity’s new album will be available as download soon and features a 2011 remix of Adreanlin along with a re-mastered version of the original.
