Articles
Artist Speaks: Rick Wade
Mico Nonet's Top 10
Solvent's Top 10
Ten Questions: Autistici

Albums
An On Bast
Aster
Autistici
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Beneva vs. Clark Nova
Bersarin Quartett
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Carlos y Gaby
Lawrence English
Coniglio-Marzorati
Daedelus
Detritus
Dom Mino'
Yair Etziony
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Fluorescent Grey
Forestflies
Heribert Friedl
Glowstyx
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KiloWatts
Krill.minima
M.B + E.D.A.
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Alfredo Costa Monteiro
Németh
David Newlyn
orchestramaxfieldparrish
Pedro
Qebo
Jose Luis Redondo
The Retail Sectors
Robedoor
Scorn
Snöleoparden
Take
Taunus
Temposhark
Robert Scott Thompson
Asmus Tietchens
Z-arc

Compilations/Mixes
Back to Back Vol. 2
Favourite Places
Future Memories
Nothing Works As Planned
Twin Earth Atlantic

3"/ 7"/ 10"/ 12"/ EPs
Buzzin' Fly Vol 4 Remixes
Franco Cangelli
Cheju
Figurines
Pär Grindvik
Hugo
Gregg Kowalsky
Lerosa
Mico Nonet
Moldy (featuring Juakali)
Take
The Third Man
Andy Vaz

DVD
MONO

The Third Man: Before We Begin EP
Ai Records

The Third Man's Before We Begin EP is another prototypically beautiful twelve-inch from the ever-reliable Ai imprint. In fact, the material's so polished, it's hard to believe the six tracks constitute the maiden voyage of London-born Toby Leeming. That the EP sounds occasionally derivative of classic Basic Channel-Chain Reaction is a whole lot less objectionable when he proves himself such an artful practitioner of the dub-techno style. But Leeming casts his gaze in a Westerly direction too, in particular towards the rich splendour of Detroit techno (Leeming namechecks Underground Resistance, Andy Stott, Robert Hood, Jeff Mills, Derrick May, Surgeon, Richie Hawtin, Drexciya, A Guy Called Gerald, Plaid, and Monolake, among others as influences).

The epically swinging “Onwards & Upwards” introduces the EP at a peak level with a gorgeous panorama of charging kick drums, watery chords, pulsating bass lines, and jazzy keyboard riffing. In general, the tracks stylistically alternate between the Motor City and Berlin thereafter. Drenched in gleaming synthesizer patterns, the Detroit-styled cuts “Fast Train to Edinburgh” and “Sedition” surge with light-speed locomotion, while hints of Chain Reaction artists such as Fluxion, Scion, and Various Artists emerge elsewhere: in “A14 (Eastbound),” moody starbust flares and hi-hat accents skip across the stereo field as synth waves unfurl and bulbous bass drums pound, while aqueous chords and steaming grooves power the deep dub-techno tracks “6 A.M. on Leith Walk” and “A14 (Westbound).” That influences are audible doesn't discount the fact that the material on Before We Begin EP is silky smooth, the grooves tight, and the tracks heavenly.

March 2008