2lanes
Diamond Rain

Blazej Malinowski joins forces with Neel, Claudio PRC, Milena Glowacka and Svreca for a collaborative EP via his own Inner Tension imprint this May.Over the past decade, Poland-born now Berlin-based producer, DJ Blazej Malinowski has been deliver his twist on Techno via imprint such as Semantica, Kvalia, TGP, 012 and of course his own Inner Tension label where he returns here with a new collaborative EP. The idea behind the record was to merge Blazej with artists he has close connections to and create music that would capture the moment in time at which it was made, based on pure emotion and without limitation. The resultant 'Are We All Alone or Just Overwhelmed?' EP is testament to Blazej's inherent connection to Techno.Up first on the package is 'Time Is Relative', a collaboration with Italian DJ, producer and engineer Neel which meanders through an amalgamation of intricately intertwined synth leads, robust percussion, and a grinding low- end drive. 'Riddle' with Claudio PRC follows and wanders into deeper territories via ethereal, billowing textures, metallic chimes and resonant synth flutters floating atop a circling bass groove and crisp drums.On the flip-side Milena Glowacka joins Blazej for 'Equal', a subtly unfurling composition laid out across seven minutes with bubbling tones, dynamic percussive elements and a pulsating low-end. 'Coincidence', composed with Svreca then rounds out the release, a murky journey through haunting atmospherics, bumpy off-kilter drums, and eerie percussive fills.

Four years on from Bloei EP (ninih002) and his bewitching collaboration with Theremin soloist Carolina Eyck, Waves (yeyeh002), Eversines returns to Pieter Jansen’s yeyeh/ninih platform with his second solo album, Dwang. The intervening period has seen the Dutch producer release a string of EPs on dancefloor staples like De Lichting, Kalahari Oyster Cult and Wex, all while performing his particular brand of cross-genre dreaming music in DJ and live sets at clubs and festivals across Europe.On Dwang, Eversines revisits the psychological themes he explored on 2021’s Solvation EP, here channelled into a compelling extended narrative centred on inner struggles and personal growth. Sequenced like a DJ set, the music on Dwang ranges between ambient, breaks, acid techno and trance in a progression that moves from a stance of denial and resistance, through acknowledgement and onwards to acceptance. This intense emotional process is skilfully evoked by Eversines’s expert control of tension, catharsis and relief across the album’s four sides.Opening the first disc, ethereal opener ‘Bridge’ clears the mind of outside cares with ocean-deep dub. The moody yet measured breaks and acid of ‘Elev’ build a sense of anticipation before ‘Resist’ and ‘Must Know’ — both of them loopy, airtight takes on classic acid techno — each evoke the feeling of being trapped in a cycle. The second disc opens with ‘Fog’, a title done justice by the track’s billowing clouds of electrically-charged synths and murky bass. The wave of energy building up to this point begins to crest with ‘Onheil’ (‘Evil’), a driving floor-filler that could soundtrack a racing game from the future, before the surf finally breaks with the rushing Detroit-meets-psytrance barrage of ‘Problem Solving Mode’. ‘Tussen Tijd’ (‘In Between’) marks the calming of the waters with cautiously optimistic chord progressions and bright breaks.It’s not a resolution, because in this life there are no easy answers. The trick, as Eversines tells us through this varied musical journey, is to let go of things outside your control and find peace in yielding to a higher flow. Thus Dwang, at once concise and expansive, uses the full range of Eversines’s dancefloor acumen to convey his personal message with universal resonance.

Sound the alarms, red-hot new label Spray has checked in for round two; nummer zwei.. though far from dry; with Leisureplex, a suspiciously proficient debut from Dublin’s Drua. Joining the prog-parade full steam ahead, the 3 tracker dabbles in tech trance activity with a bonus remix from Berlin’s backbone Mor Elian. The enigmatic newcomer showcasing mature structural bliss, crafted for moments of subconscious synchronicity between the dj and their dancers. Breaking out of the cookie cutter mold in sharp fashion is the title track, rolling effortlessly with addictive bell delays and morish gating. Layers graciously build a wall of sound that can’t be broken down; splintered shakers flicker above board whilst demonic vocal blurs act as rhythmic counterparts. Mor Elian’s dystopian leaning rendition still holds some stealthily euphoric aura, the heavy handed machine drum freakout a brain scattering rendering on speed. The B Side stands alone tall and proud; Larp feels like a climax at the party. Sirens flaring high as hell, the rise and fall of the bassline bouncing in tandem with driving drums, only stopping for a dramatic drumroll. An essential to top off a seriously stunning first record from Drua, get it before he blows up!

Contrived through a pure spawn of friendship and boundless exploration, Sin Limites began as a jam between Nap, Ex-Terrestrial & Roza Terenzi in Montreal 2018 with no intentions. After a reshape and polish from Priori it found its way back to demolish dancefloors, slipping into mixes over the years and standing the test of time; a micro reissue of sorts finding a home on Delicate Records with a pair of remixes from none other than Ambien Baby & D. Tiffany to keep things in the chosen family. The title track is simple yet bold in nature; daring hypnotic metallic sequence, original Spanish vocals laced throughout by Nap and rough ‘n’ rugged 606 drums; a master in exquisite nuance and tech-evolution. Dormant until 2021, the B side rose from the ashes via the remixes to anoint the record as a three part ode to No Limits; a timeless ethos shared and lived amongst all involved.

A glass half-full. The World I Want Would Be Celestial, Wet is the first full-length release from record label, Absorb. The eagerly awaited compilation features acclaimed and lesser-known artists, presenting thirteen works made between 2020 and 2021. Classical re-presentations, squealing electronics and other "wait-for-it" moments are pieced together by label head, Kavil and the ethereal work of painter, Matthew Asling. The result is something windy and heady. A feeling that is drifting. Crucially, the double LP serves as a timestamp of a very special chapter of contemporary experimental music being made in Naarm (Melbourne) and its surrounds. Taken in, soaked up, gleaming.

Hypnotic Techno Re Issue from 1995 on new label Private Parts. Purple Edge feat on Fabric 01 mixed my Craig Richards.