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La Paz, Baja California

Photo 1

Melaka, Malaysia

Echoecho – Vampire EP

Echoecho – The Vampire ep

A pure techno ep that pushes all the right buttons – both soundwise and in concept, ‘The Vampire EP’ consists of four top-notch mastered tracks that creep and crawl in a way that makes you think the Great White Minimal Hype never even existed.

‘Vampire Empire’ is one helluva opener. After a delicate, humming intro sets up the pace, it takes a sharp turn into Bassville – and never looks back. ’Bedford Misantropic’ is an instant classic; Detroitesque yeah, but with haunting overtones that almost have a Radiohead-type of emotional vibe to it. Bleak, motoric, and bittersweet. Mesmerizing stuff.

The flipside (which will remain vinyl-only) is more introspective and has an beautifully understated Datassette-remix. It’s the kind of music that Sven Vath used to spin on those legendary three hour sets on German radio to great effect (but sadly no longer seems really interested in). ‘Boiler Room’ may be the least captivating of the four, but that’s hardly a complaint. It sounds a bit like Fairmont’s classic remix for Nathan Fake – which is good company to be with.

On top of the music, comes the concept: this release has been released in a very limited pressing of 333 handnumbered pieces. Each piece sports an individually screenprinted cover, which makes it both a bit exclusive and mysterious at the same time. And deservedly so, because this one’s special.

Look for this vinyl. At least legally download one half of it, if you must.

It’s that good.

The Past Room

The Past Room

Vinyl Street

Spinning the black circle is slowly vanishing in our field of electronic music.  A bittersweet story.

Picture this: a busy old street in the middle of the city. The vibrant part of an oversized port town filled with too many soulless mega stores.

People from all over the country come here, hunting for vinyl records. The little shops on this particular street cater for every taste: house & techno, drum ‘n bass, soul, funk, pop, rock, jazz and anything beyond.

You enter your favourite shop, grab some headphones and check out some fresh tunes. You wander the street some more, looking for your next vinyl-fix. And while you’re at it, you buy some food and you chill with some friends over a beer. Talk about that particular Purpose Maker-ep you still haven’t bought, because it’s a live-recording and you don’t know how to properly mix that up just yet.

Maybe you’ll buy a small spliff for later that evening, in celebration of your new analog purchases. After all, that obscure Blue Train white label you discovered by chance is bound to get you spaced out anyway. Might as well make the most of it.

You come back every week.

In the summertime you see all these young tourists from the southern parts of Europe walking down the street. You see those massive backpacks they’re carrying around and you smile at those square-sized plastic shopping bags they’re holding in their hands. No way those records will survive the long journey home unscathed – there’s simply no room for it in those worn down ‘sacks. But they’ve got their bunch of freshly bought 12-inches, so on their way they go. You see them thinking: ”The odds be damned, I got what I want. Fuck it. I’ll figure something out.”

On a cold winter night, you drink one beer too many and suddenly decide it’s a good idea to buy that red Cocoon compilation regardless. It will set you back considerably, but financial excuses are not to be made right now; you’re in a dire and accute need of that strange Sutekh-track on one of those flipsides. You go back in again and the guy behind the counter is already grabbing it for you, grinning like there’s no tomorrow.

But sadly, there is. Tomorrow’s just around the corner.

Fast forward to the present. Things don’t look so good anymore. Three record shops closed last year. More closings will follow. The end will come eventually.

So let’s look back one more time. Over the shoulder. And watch that illustrious street get smaller into the distance as you walk along. Until it gradually fades away.

I feel techno is an evergrowing tree and we should never forget that deep underground the roots of our music have grown from other kinds. (Laurent Garnier)

Words on current and forgotten inspirations are coming soon.
We will look for vinyl, you just watch this space…