October 2017 Album & Compilation Guide

Big Shot Magazine Sound Advice

October 6

Ben Sun – Strange Roads At Night (Voyeurhythm)
Seasoned producer and Voyeurhythm co-founder steps to the fore with a thoughtful album of fantastically arranged sounds and textures, featuring lush elements of jazz, soul, pop, dance and beyond. Strange Roads At Night is an album of blissful, funk-fueled that call to mind everything you love about kindred spirits including Larry Heard, Gerd Janson, Troy Parrish and Ron Trent. A timeless effort indeed.

B•R•A•U•N – Silent Science (Diving Bell Recording Co.)
Ben Braun cut his teeth co-helming the Portland-based synth-pop duo Mackintosh Braun. With three albums and a decade of experience under his belt, Braun steps out to explore solo waters. Silent Science packs winsome songs, shimmering melodies and shows another side of his musical personalities. True music heads will be delighted to know there’s a guest sax solo by Charlie DeChant from Hall & Oates’ backing band on the opening track “Washed Away.”

Moullinex – Hypersex (Discotexas)
A famous British trio sang that when the world is going down you make the best of what’s still around. In the wake of today’s socio-political drama Luis Clara Gomes begs to differ, preferring to strive for a higher state of consciousness via embracing peace, love unity and respect. Partnered with a group of like-minded artists, Hypersex is righteously uplifting dance music that will soothe your frazzled mind, body and soul.

NHK yx Koyxen – Exit Entrance (DFA)
Osaka experimental producer/graphic artist Kohei Matsunaga (a.k.a. NHK yx Koyxen) is almost never seen without his trademark 3-D glasses. You might say that it’s emblematic of the way he sees music — in different colors and shapes. The experimental auteur makes his DFA debut with a dynamic full-length that’s overflowing with rhythmic ideas that could well be his most accessible offering to date. “Outset (for Mika Vainio)”  is a fitting tribute to the late Pan Sonic member.


Shigeto – The New Monday (Ghostly)
Michigan native Zach Saginaw (a.k.a. Shigeto) returned home after a stint in Brooklyn. He’s since doubled down on his love for Detroit, directing his musical proclivities to the dance floor by way of his third solo album, The New Monday. It’s peppered with elements of soul, house, rap and more and was created with a coterie of talented locals. It’s inspired by a local Monday night residency he co-helms. Saginaw reminds us that home is definitely where the heart is.

October 10

Dachshund – Steady (Clapper)
Swiss tech-house champion presents an 11-track album of delightfully minimal and decidely groovy tracks. What’s more is that he keeps his cuts spare and stays true to the less-is-more ethos that’s made him a name among house heads in the know.

October 13

Digital 21 + Stefan Olsdal – Inside (Kobalt Music Recordings)
Digital 21 (a.k.a. veteran electronic producer Miguel López Mora) and Placebo bassist/guitarist Stefan Olsdal join musical forces on a collaborative musical project that’s going to turn a lot of heads courtesy of roaring electro-laden soundscapes. Inside is a truly international affair—the album was created virtually between Berlin and London with an array of vocalists from all over including: Cuushe (Japan), Margrét Rán from Vök (Iceland), Helen Feng from Nova Heart (China), and Julienne from Saschienne (France/Germany).

Kauf – Regrowth (Kauf Audio)
A producer, vocalist and musician, the Los Angeles-based Kauf is a triple threat. His debut album is awash with delicate synth-driven grooves, tender lyrics and infectious vocals. Sometimes he’s happy. Sometimes he’s sad. Sometimes he’s just watching the world go by. In the end he delivers an album that’s realer than real.

Crackazat – Rainbow Fantasia (Local Talk)
Like much of the music released on the acclaimed Local Talk label, Sweden via England house producer Ben Jacobs — who served as Floating Points’ opening act back in the day — isn’t afraid to color outside the circles. His second full-length is a whirlwind of phenomenal instrumentation and furtive samples. Rainbow Fantasia is a snapshot of a house artist at the top of his game.

Oliver Huntemann – Propaganda (Senso Sounds)
During his two-decade career Oliver Huntemann has zigged when many of his peers zagged. With a cavalcade of techno producers mining gold on the emotive end of the spectrum, Huntsman’s fifth album goes the other way, focusing with laser precision on brooding, deep, and dark signatures. In the end, Huntemann is where he seems to always be—a few steps ahead of the pack.

Various Artists / fabric 95: Roman Flügel (fabric)
One of the biggest luminaries of Germany’s house music scene lends his mixing touch to fabric’s acclaimed DJ mix series. In keeping with his modus operandri of keeping his dance floor on their toes, Flügel’s session is realized by subterranean cuts like his 2011 Ricardo Villalobos collaboration (RiRom’s “RoRic”) and Eamon Harkin’s majestic “Are You Listening?”

October 20

Halina Rice – Redux (Blurred Recordings)
Already compared to a handful of iconic electronic artists, the emerging London-based producer’s debut album exudes an individual style and maturity in spite of her youth. Opening track “Drive” sets the benchmark for her icy-hot musical backdrops that are propelled by her effortless voice. “Arco” is a particularly brilliant instrumental with glistening textures and pinpoint percussion. Redux is mission statement from an artist who’s confident and clearly uninterested in producing anything derivative.

Various Artists – EPM Selected Vol. 5 (EPMMusic)
EPMMusic flaunts its roster of top techno talent with a compilation featuring new cuts from Floorplan, Mark Broom, Dan Curtin, House of Black Lanterns, D-Knox, Ben Long, Esteban Adame Basic Frame, Paul Mac and Francesco Terranova. ‘Nuff said.

Lindstrøm – It’s Alright Between Us As It Is (Smalltown Supersound/Feedelity Recordings.)
Famed Norwegian producer Hans-Peter Lindstrøm presents his fifth solo album, featuring collaborations with singers Grace Hall, Frida Sundemo and Jenny Hvalwill. The full-length packs dark disco vibes and throbbing electro-charged grooves. All nine tracks are seamlessly mixed together.

Reto A Ichi – The Lapse of Exchange (!K7)
Guillermo Scott Herren continues to carve his own creative niche. Known for his groundbreaking work under his Prefuse 73 moniker, roughly four years ago he co-founded Yellow Year Records with photographer Angel Ceballos and swiftly dropped a collaboration with Teebs. Next came Prefuse 73’s Rivington Não Rio on Temporary Residence. Now Herren presents a two-part album under his new alias, Reto A Ichi, which was two years in the making. The first volume, The Lapse Of Exchange, is a largely cinematic affair that explores ambient to glitch and every style in between. The second volume, Alone Moving Often, drops on November 17.

Satori – MAKTUB (Crosstown Rebels)
It’s no accident that Djordje Petrovich took the musical alias Satori (“sudden enlightenment”). A devotee of meditation with a world view — he was born to a Serbian father and South African mother — his remixes and productions have stood out thanks to his use of melodies played on the piano, kora, kalimba, and guitar. His harmonious album is the perfect marriage of dance grooves and world music.

Rødhåd – Anxious (Dystopian)
The mysterious one-named Dystopian Records DJ/producer built his reputation in Berlin for his transformative extended sets brandishing his spectral dub-techno sound. The teutonic technocrat explores eerie soundscapes throughout his captivating debut album. This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco, this ain’t no fooling around.

Various Artists – Kerri Chandler DJ-Kicks (!K7)
New Jersey’s Kerri ‘Kaoz’ Chandler has pioneered a distinctive sound within house music. Known for an arm’s length list of production credits and helming Madtech Records, Chandler brings a vast musical knowledge to the table from the get-go. His DJ-Kicks reflects the essence of his sound—it’s a journey of R&B, soul, and house music with a distinctly New York flavor.

October 27

Dave Clarke – The Desecration of Desire (Skint)
The Baron of Techno presents his third album, The Desecration of Desire, which has been 14 years in the making. It’s an ambitious effort that finds Clarke intentionally steering clear of techno — the genre he spins weekly at clubs and festivals across the globe. To realize the full-length Clarke assembled an amazing roster of collaborators, including former Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan, LOUISAHHH, Mt. Sims, Gazelle Twin, and Keith Tenniswood. Read our interview with Mr. Clarke here.

Florian Kruse & Hendrik Burkhard present TheGround – Dediction (Audiomatique)
House DJ/producer and Florian Kruse and singer-songwriter Hendrik Burkhard have been hard at work making music since joining forces in 2015. The result is an emotional debut album that exudes euphoria to exasperation. A cadre of guests including Raphael Hofman, Saccao, and Vincenzo & Mi.li.an propel this project to a dramatic new level.

October 31

Merveille & Crosson – Cerulean (Visionquest)
Cadenza regular Cesar Merveille and Visionquest co-founder Ryan Crosson pick up where they left off on their well-received debut album, DRM. Cerulean is a melange of ambient soundscapes juxtaposed against clubbier proclivities, featuring classical pianist Julien Quentin, No Regular Play’s Greg Paulus on trumpet, Wareika’s Henrik Raabe on guitar, Yonathan Levi on double bass, Moritz Baumgartner adding additional drum work and Berlin’s Signum Saxophone Quartet.

Darren Ressler

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