Yard :: Detrit EP (Binary Dilemma, 12")

Yard fuses the sounds of Detroit with his trademark noise detritus to give us the cleverly named Detrit single. Two original tracks of minimal sandpaper techno that accentuate thematic buildups above heartbeat rhythms are rounded out with different takes on the title track by IDM mainstays Cane and Anders Ilar. Yard's work is hypnotic, focusing on foundational layers of sound accentuated by hyperdelic synth leads. The Cane mix brings in squelchy 303 acid, while Ilar's mix takes the listener underwater to an Atlantean Zion.

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Funckarma :: Sploid EP (Binary Dilemma, 12")

The prolific Funcken brothers drop yet another release in an already busy year on Binary Dilemma. Fans of Funckarma know about what to expect from Dom & Roel - astute programming, lush pads, and funcked-up rhythms, deeply influenced by early Autechre. On "Sploid, Funckarma continues to lay claim to the title of "present paragons of IDM." Close your eyes, and you may find yourself in a machine's dream. While not breaking new ground, this is a solid release for fans of IDM in general, and specifically Funckarma.

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Badawi :: Unit of Resistance (ROIR, CD)

Badawi is the woefully slept on output of one Raz Mesinai. Even after releasing chilled out dub happy releases on ROIR for over 10 years, Badawi is new to me yet right up my alley. After catching Raz on his spring 2008 tour with the legendary Meat Beat Manifesto and getting lost in his live bass mangling with minimal equipment, I sat down to ingest his most recent release, Unit of Resistance.

This is Mesinai's first release under both Badawi & self-named monikers, due to a heavily collaborative concept: in 2004, during the Republican National Convention in New York City, Raz booked a studio with a host of musicians to record their sense of purpose, rage, and intensity of that day. This output was whittled down into individual tracks and sent to various remixers, including Kode 9, DJ Rupture, DJ Spooky, and others. The result is an uneasy audio statement, rooted in aggressive bass, eastern consciousness, and roots dub. The atmosphere is thick on each song as the remixers apply polishing touches to the already heavy output.

In spite of the album's multi-producer structure, it is cohesive and self-similar, making the album feel less like a compilation. Although it is difficult to determine how much of each song is culled from the original sources, it sounds like the remixers stayed close to Mesinai's original intent.

The rhythms are tight, the instruments are eastern, and the dub is raw. Don't miss this surprisingly awesome release.

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Her Space Holiday :: XOXO, Panda And The New Kid Revival (Mush, CD)

Mush Records serves up a fresh batch of songs from multi-instrumentalist Marc Bianchi as Her Space Holiday with XOXO, Panda and The New Kid Revival. Evoking hymns from the book of Broken Social Scene, Her Space Holiday deftly crafts solid pop tunes with a nod to basement house parties aimed at the solemn and broken-hearted. All but abandoning beats crafted in the bedroom that defined earlier releases, "XOXO, Panda and Her Space Holiday" quietly whispers in the ears of Modest Mouse fans without diving head first into the gritty reaches of indie-rock recursion. This is a lovely lo-fi album for those early morning trips through the mountains through towns where folk musicians sing and dance to the lonely.

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