Mogambo (โมกัมโบ)
Mogambo Remixed w/ Yu Su & Benedikt Frey Remixes

Recorded during the first few periods of lockdown and originally released as a cassette midway through 2021, O Yuki Conjugate's A Tension of Opposites Vol. 1 & 2 is now to be released as a limited edition, double-disc gatefold LP via World of Echo on 1st April. The enforced conditions of its creation represented a new way of working for O Yuki Conjugate founders, Andrew Hulme and Roger Horberry, a pioneering duo who have worked as close collaborators on multiple projects for almost four decades now. As such, their writing is for the first time divided in two and recognised as distinct, Horberry contributing the shorter eleven tracks that make up Vol. 1 (subtitle: At Variance), and Andrew Hulme the longer four that constitute Vol. 2 (Into the Pleasure Garden). It's fascinating to hear their approaches separated. At Variance is defined by its mostly short-form approach, characterised by an airless ambience that recalls the late 20th Century modern minimalism of Thomas Koner, Markus Popp and the Mille Plateux universe, while in other parts, an element of the grander aspects of Eno circa Discreet Music, though retaining a characteristically gritty feel. Into the Pleasure Garden provides a notable contrast, forgoing the lightness of the preceding eleven tracks and embracing what might be understood as some of the more 'classic' elements of the OYC sound: their storm cloud-forming, heavy weather, post-industrial, fourth-world dystopia. Together and apart, OYC celebrate their 40th birthday this year, but remarkably, even under challenging circumstances, their music still retains an almost mystical power.Future releases in the series are planned for later in the year and will continue with this approach, charting the outer reaches of the individual members musical inclinations. In the meantime, it might be worth giving some thought to start considering this pair an institution of sorts, or at least their own cottage industry.

Mogambo knit together a heady, hypnotic sound from the many enigmatic strands of Asia’s musical cultures: the deep traditional instrumentations of Siam and India, the high-tech edge of modern Bangkok and the rich Goan bloodline of trance. The results are both otherworldly, yet instantly comprehensible. And now the duo, consisting of producer Sunju Hargun and multi-instrumentalist Jerom Doudet, return with the latest missive from their own aptly-titled Siamese Twins Records: Urvi (उर्वी).The much- anticipated follow-up to their sought-after debut 12” Cobra (कोबरा) is a multi-layered sound bath, as versatile as it is visceral. Urvi ranges from meditative sonic explorations to fearless entrancing rhythms and basslines, tangled together from the mysterious East.

Jochem Peteri comes drifting back into earshot with some new NWAQ tackle in tow. Beyond the plentiful reissues of his timeless earlier works, Peteri is just as productive in the here and now. Now he’s minting a new label with three pieces that embellish the NWAQ soundworld with a fresh slant. ‘Above II’ is a crystal clear beam of light strapped to a kick that trips over itself with grace and poise. It’s forthright and yet wholly untethered, a pre-echo for the anchorless expanse of ‘Above I’, which buries some heavy bass ruminations very far down in the mix. That leaves it to ‘Dume’ to come staggering out all bleary-eyed, caked in last night’s distortion and yet still exuding a cracked beauty that stands up to the first light of dawn. The artwork which adorns this record is by environment sculpting internet artist Jan-Robert Leegte. NWAQ has always stood for a kind of environmental immersion, and this new emission compounds that idea in three distinct, refreshing ways.

For Delft-based label Omen Wapta's first release, Japanese musician/sound designer/coder/producer JEMAPUR explores the far reaches of abstract experimental techno on his album Mode Cleaner. Pulling from music made between 2016 and 2020, JEMAPUR demonstrates his distinctive use of glitch, microsampling, live coding, and granular synthesis techniques. The album was made when the producer was drawn to subjects like physics, geometry, murals, ancient civilisations, the logic of nature, and the observation of the universe.

Dylan Forbes is a man of sustained grooves. But for the next release on Haŵs, the Irish DJ producer deviates slightly from the sounds of his previous back-catalog to investigate the idea of collective ideals from the solitary walls of his lockdown studio back in 2020. The resulting output is ‘Mind Expander’, an idiomatic release of club-orientated house and tech tracks marbled with introspection and the hopeful craving for dancefloor unity.The opening ‘Ride The Flange’ jumpstarts the engine with an emphatic house beat, sitting beneath swathes of misty synth lines that trip over each other in their eagerness to peer into the void beyond. ‘Mind Expander’ takes the pH back to 1, with acidic iterations, delicate chimes and a protracted build up that yields a sense of broadening thoughts and augmented senses.On the B-side, ‘Searching’ slots together gruff, probing basslines beside melodic contours that seem to dance together with a subtle rapport like two figures treading the verge between companionship and intimacy. ‘Take U Over’ intensifies the euphoria for the close, assembling a prog-inspired motley crew of synths, reverbed soul vocals and breaks to gently charm the traveller back down from the 4-track ride.It’s said that reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else - so let’s make the shared journey worthwhile.