Browse by Label: SPECTRAL SOUND

Artist:	DEAR, MATTHEW
Title:	Leave Luck To Heaven
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	CD
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	SPC 011CD

"Matthew Dear (aka False (Plus 8) and Jabberjaw (Perlon)) has made remarkable steps towards becoming one of America's best new techno artists in the past few years. Between his stunning live performances and evolved DJ sets, Matthew has perked the ears of the industry's best. His debut album under his birth name, Leave Luck To Heaven is an album which bucks the trend of the techno album as a fixed structure. Not a collection of 12" material or remixes, Llth is a tried and true artist album in every sense. With sleek, minimal techno lines, a pop sensibility and an ambient soul, Llth guides effortlessly from track to track, with enough charisma to open closed minds. Matthews vocals, which appear in fragments on nearly every song, but as a complete, and almost pop-device on songs like but for you, it's over now, and the infectious first single, 'Dog Days' (spl-10) shows a warmth and personality that transcends any pre-existing genre affiliations. Matthew's debut LP is one of the finest moments from the Ghostly/Spectral catalogue to date. A stunning symbol of techno's immediate future."

Artist:	DASO
Title:	Meine Idee EP
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	SPC 047EP

Daso Franke has garnered international attention through releases on My Best Friend, Session Deluxe, Connaisseur and Flash Recordings. His inaugural 12" for Spectral Sound showcases his broad range of talents. "Meine" is a brilliant new take on the international techno form, maintaining a streamlined sportscar-like fluidity. The B-side offers two unique tracks, starting off with the electro-inspired "Idee" and its bubbling melodics and "Deine Schuhe" with its snappy hi-hats and mesmerizing compositional vortex. Dancefloors will covet this sound.

Artist:	GRINDVIK, PAR
Title:	Continuate
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	SPC 048EP

Pär Grindvik brings out his first release on Spectral, Continuate, a 12" treat in the tradition of great Nordic artistry. "Continue In My Words" may start off simple, but it's laced with a tantric-build, pushing subconsciously to the edge where kamikaze lemmings blend mid-air into an exasperated steam machine. Marcel Dettman and Ben Klock lay down a brutal remix that blasts and splits up, only to be reshaped into gestures that could replace the notion of melody altogether.

Artist:	VA
Title:	Death Is Nothing to Fear 3
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	SPC 049EP

The third installment of Spectral Sound's compilation series, focused on bringing forward new voices in the world of techno. Brought together by an equally brash and nuanced take on tonal manipulation, the four artists presented here -- Sami Koivikko, Seth Troxler, Kate Simko and 2AM/FM (James T. Cotton and D'Marc Cantu) -- contribute a vast understanding of the compilation's theme. What unfolds is a tough and modern ride through international techno and house.

Artist:	COTTON, JAMES T.
Title:	Like No One
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	2LP
Price:	$18.00
Catalog #:	SPC 052LP

LP-only release. This is the second full-length release for Michigan's James T. Cotton (aka Tadd Mullinix, also known as Dabrye, JTC and SK-1) on the Spectral Sound label. James T. Cotton has been an integral part of the Spectral family since its origins, and after a string of successful releases on the Creme, Nation and UDEK labels, he returns with a confident new album that takes his dark techno paranoia into new realms. 2004's The Dancing Box LP was a powerful look into the mind of this creative producer -- tracks like "Press Your Body" and "The Drain" suggested a dystopian landscape, marrying Belgian new beat and acid into a classic melange. As part of a new wave of producers exploring the jackbeat sound, Cotton provides a re-understanding of classic house and techno rhythms, which steers clear of retro cheekiness. For Like No One, Cotton has paired up with scene luminary Traxx (as Saturn V), for the bouncing "Come Into My Life" and with his 2AM/FM counterpart, D'Marc Cantu, for the ecstatic "Sensational Rhythm." Cotton's solo ventures like "The Boxx" and "Got To Let You Know" are proof that Like No One plays like a document of the dance music moment, where genre falls away, and true energy and prowess thrive.

Artist:	OSBORNE
Title:	Ruling EP
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	SPC 053EP

Osborne is a Lego-sculpting, electron microscope-owning, Japanese speaking über-producer. He is, in fact, house music's MacGyver. Todd has been championed across the board by Gilles Peterson to Aphex Twin, from UR's Mad Mike to Warp's Flying Lotus. This 12" was written on his own music software on a hand-built computer, and is a testament to a life of walking the walk. Pure dancefloor-ready house that provides a taste of much more to come from this up-and-comer.

Artist:	OSBORNE
Title:	Osborne
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	SPC 054CD

Osborne is Todd Osborn, and this is his debut full-length release for the Spectral Sound label. Osborne is a celebration of all that is good in American house and techno music: past, present and future. This Lego-sculpting, electron microscope-owning, Japanese speaking über-producer puts the joy of life and the art of making into his music. Todd fixes and flies planes, has fabricated a video game kiosk out of hospital equipment, and is finishing his hovercraft as we write this. We could call him house music's MacGyver. Like a personal sketchbook of Todd's musical history, the album evokes the sensation of an electronic yesteryear, where dance music production was treated with a wide-eyed sense of discovery. The tracks "Ruling," "Outta Sight" and "Afrika" are strutting dance epics, but the album also shows a side of Todd that is geared more for the homefront too. Todd has been championed across the board from Gilles Peterson to Aphex Twin (he records as Soundmurderer for his Rephlex label), from UR's Mad Mike to Warp's Flying Lotus. This album, written on his own music software on a hand-built computer, is testament to a life of walking the walk.

Artist:	SIMKO, KATE
Title:	She Said EP
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	SPC 057EP

Kate Simko's first release with Spectral Sound is like the soundtrack to a techno-action movie. The shuddering bass line of the title track bounces off walls while slinky percussion keeps the tension in check. The synth swells. The alarm has been rung. Ryan Elliott chills the mood, creating a late-night version that keeps the original's insistence while augmenting its depth. "Soltera" sees our heroine escape, and housier textures prevail. An airy groove produces melody shrapnel, but all emerge victorious.

Artist:	DASO & PAWAS
Title:	Det
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	SPC 058EP

Slowly moving and turning, "Det" is the sonic equivalent to watching the ocean: great changes are constantly occurring. The title track is a subtle classic, marrying the most elegant points of house and techno into a sublime whole. Schatrax's remix adds a modernized house sound to the original, like a depth charge of bass to the ocean floor, where iridescent creatures emerge from the shadows. The propulsive "Brazil To Detroit" is an imaginary pathway through both grit and beauty.

Artist:	VA
Title:	Death Is Nothing To Fear 4
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$10.00
Catalog #:	SPC 059EP

The Death Is Nothing train keeps rolling with four new cuts, from both Spectral mainstays and a few surprises. Alexi Delano delivers an amazing cut with Francisco Allendes -- a menacing affair, perfect to set the room ablaze. Kill (aka Kill Memory Crash) presents a pounding grinder of a tune with "France," bridging the gap between electro and techno. TNT deliver a brisk groove, and Daso's track is like the dusk, a slow ride into the sunset, moody and majestic.

Artist:	AUDION
Title:	Billy Says Go
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	SPC 060EP

Audion spawns Billy Says Go -- the title track of which is absolutely contagious. A track of considerable depth and suspense, its rotating beats are trademark Audion with an eerie choir that is like the angel of death perched at your bedroom window. "Snap Into It" lets logic go on auto-pilot with its assertive hypnosis. "Against All Odds" creeps up like a shadowed stranger. Before you reach your front door, it's all buzzsaw ripping through bone and sinew. Devastating.

Artist:	2AM/FM
Title:	Electronic Justice
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	SPC 062EP

James T. Cotton and D'Marc Cantu saw off another thick slab of classic Chicago acid. "1MG" is a relentless Teutonic grind, tightly constructed yet engraved with subversive tweaks. "Werkin House" and "Static Vision" follow with the brooding squelch of a 303. And if these take us deep inside the darkest warehouse, then the title-track reveals the inner depths of the artists themselves. "Electronic Justice" is a rolling vocal creeper whose laser-beam pulses ebb and flow around a synthesized mantra.

Artist:	COTTON, JAMES T.
Title:	Dancing Box
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	CD
Price:	$13.00
Catalog #:	SPC 018CD

"Tadd Mullinix, also known as Dabrye and SK-1 (of Soundmurderer and SK-1 on Rewind! Records), makes his first full statement under the James Cotton alias. Psychedelic in every sense of the word, The Dancing Box pays respects to classic Chicago acid and leftfield Detroit techno, but does so with its own force and verve. Mullinix has created a sonic maelstrom, at once vibrant and eerily troubling. The album is impressive as a listening experience top to bottom, the eerie sensation of slowly deepening grooves. The tracklisting varies in both feeling and style, from the ominous 'Distant Trip', which feels like a late night drive on a deserted highway, to the blinding synths of the closing title track. The Dancing Box is a manic journey into the mind of a master musician."

Artist:	WHITE, GEOFF
Title:	Ince
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	SPC 019EP

"Geoff White has a mind too adventurous to pigeonhole himself within the strict tenets of traditional techno. He has tackled various side projects, such as DSP (on Mille Plateaux), Jackstone (on Proptronix), and Aeroc (on Ghostly), and has collaborated with Sutekh and Stewart Walker. White has explored a variety of timbres and textures, from hip-hop beats to acoustic guitar, proving that his musical curiosity and creativity have no boundaries. Ince's title track is tough, cut-up minimal techno featuring chopped guitar and breaths. The flip is heavy roll-out minimal, extremely concise but fluid. This 12" is a stellar addition to Geoff White's array of quality releases."

Artist:	OSBORNE
Title:	Afrika EP
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	SPC 020EP

"Todd Osborn(e) has been a busy man. Between running the acclaimed Rewind! Records label with Tadd Mullinix, touring the world, and re-recording Radiohead's Kid A note for note (it's true), the Man is a force to be reckoned with. The title track is one of the best songs we've had the pleasure to release. Full of life and atmosphere, it literally oozes all things raw, natural. Distant voices form a distinct chant, rolling drum lines, sequenced not in a traditional grid. 'Afrika' is World-inspired without falling into cliché or comfort. It rolls out the speakers in a healthy charge. The flip's two techy tunes, 'In Gear' and 'Graphite,' are drumbox monsters with Detroit's psyche and Berlin's step."

Artist:	DEAR, MATTHEW
Title:	Backstroke
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	CD
Price:	$11.00
Catalog #:	SPC 021CD

"Matthew Dear returns with the mini-LP Backstroke, on which he expands his stylistic boundaries and solidifies his place as not only a master of micro-house, but also as a major force in experimental pop. On the recent Anger Management/Future Never Again 12", Dear backed away from the mic, but Backstroke features vocals more prominently than ever. Dear infuses the music with stunning accessibility and depth, while more familiar elements of his otherworldly style are kneaded into a perfect mix. Also at the forefront are stronger inclinations for tunefulness and the avant-garde, as dark cacophonies of swirling, disembodied voices often give way to gorgeous melodies that carry the record along seamlessly."

Artist:	VA
Title:	Spectral Sound Vol. 1
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	2CD
Price:	$14.50
Catalog #:	SPC 025CD

This 2CD contains exclusive and classic tracks appearing on compact disc for the first time; the 2nd CD is a 33-track mix of the label's catalog by Matthew Dear's DJ partner Ryan Elliott. "As Ghostly International's record output became more cerebral, its complementary dancefloor-based label Spectral Sound has become its own entity, a fact well reflected by the sheer breadth and quality of the tracks collected for Spectral Sound Vol. 1. The 13 tracks from disc one cover the whole of the label's existence, from progenitors like Osborne to newcomers such as Peter Grummich, with all the tracks appearing on CD for the first time. Spectral began as an outlet for DJ singles and EPs from then-unknowns like Matthew Dear, and in five short years the catalogue has grown to include twenty-one such releases, plus three highly lauded albums. Dear's hit 'Dog Days' appears here along with the previously unreleased 'Juice,' a shimmering, staccato take on the sound he explored on the phenomenal Leave Luck to Heaven album. James T. Cotton's 'T-Y-O-C Painkillers' offers a jacking beat and ominous buildup drenched in his signature analog sound. Other recent tracks from Geoff White and The Vanisher(AKA Håkan Lidbo) are included, plus remix work from Reinhard Voigt and Isolée, making for an utterly essential collection of sleek tech-house, gorgeous minimal techno and outright jams."

Artist:	VA
Title:	State of the Union 2 EP
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	SPC 028EP

"This time around, Vol. 2 offers a look at the current shape of underground techno in Montréal. Mainstay Deadbeat delivers a more upbeat and straightforward variation on his trademark dubscape sound with 'Sleazy Skankin,' allowing a kinetic, syncopated organ hit to guide the refrain, while Mike Shannon builds 'Blind Love' around a bubbling chord structure and jacking, clattering rhythm. The Mole bases 'Date' on a swinging, scratching beat, carefully morphing it as melodic elements are added with the greatest of subtlety for a lush piece of minimalism."

Artist:	WHITE, GEOFF
Title:	Etsche
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	SPC 029EP

"As a follow-up to the more organic Ince (SPL-019), Ohio's Geoff White gives us Etsche, an energetic set of minimal techno that employs his characteristic guitar sounds (also explored in a more sublime way under the Aeroc moniker) amidst a tapestry of other percussive and melodic elements. The track 'Etsche' marks a noticeably different, highly focused direction for White and the Spectral label, as its straightforward techno sound is steeped in bubbling rhythmic variations and cooing synth washes."

Artist:	AUDION
Title:	Just Fucking
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	SPC 030EP

"The third chapter in Matthew Dear's Audion 12" series is here, the true precursor to this fall's Suckfish LP. Potentially the most insane and dancefloor-destroying of the group, following the already classic EPs Kisses and The Pong. This is the sound of Matthew Dear's subconscious coming to life. Mule-kick beats, dirty synth squelch and a bass roll-out that has already rocked everywhere from Detroit to Berlin. Roman Flugel (of Alter Ego fame) delivers a summer party-ready club bomber with his '23 Positions in a One-Night Stand' mix, which strips the original down to its essential elements but keeps the infectious energy of the original."

Artist:	ANEURYSM, BRIAN
Title:	Das Element Des Menschen w/James T. Cotton Version
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	SPC 031EP

"Austrian-born, Texas resident Brian Aneurysm (AKA Bernhard Pucher) has had nearly ten years' experience as a DJ, and his productions have appeared on labels such as Poker Flat, Sub-static and his own Iron Box imprint. Nothing so far, however, could prepare us for 'Das Element Des Menschen,' a churning mammoth of grimy devastation. The track builds on mechanical bursts, slowly becoming a dominating tech-house beast until it adds an effects-laden chorus spat with an acid tongue. Pucher's industrial influences permeate the song and a palpable, dark intensity pours from the speakers amidst the clanks and bass line whirrs, making for a surefire dance floor destroyer. Includes a remix from acid techno producer James T. Cotton."

Artist:	GRUMMICH, PETER
Title:	The Roll
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	SPC 032EP

"Peter Grummich follows his massive Spectral debut Searoom with The Roll, this time bringing a more prevalent sense of melody, but still rock-solid in his mastery of Berlin-influenced rhythms. 'The Roll pt. 1' carefully develops around a scissor-snipping beat and humming, boisterous synth line, slowly adding melodic flourishes and complex percussion arrangements that would be well at home in any European club. 'The Roll pt. 2' stomps and grits its teeth, snapping all the way through with variations on an infectious, buzzing synth theme."

Artist:	2 AM/FM
Title:	Pt. 1
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	SPC 034EP

"Notorious sonic shape-shifter Tadd Mullinix has joined up with long-time collaborator D'Marc Cantu to create 2 AM/FM, a new extension of the acid house built by the pioneers of the 1980s and '90s. Raw, polyrhythmic drum boxes underscore vampiric vocal treatments and cavernous synth lines that parallel Mullinix's acclaimed work as James T. Cotton while staking a claim to the crate of any DJ worth his salt. While initially accessible for its jacking pulses and immediate hooks, the true core of 2 AM/FM exists in the details, as the addition and subtraction of subtle nuances and rhythmic shifts allow the duo to forge a set of mesmerizing sonic labyrinths. Tribal rhythms overlap and entwine with groaning, processed samples and infectious 606 melodies to create a rich atmosphere unlike any record of its kind."

Artist:	COTTON, JAMES T.
Title:	Oochie Coo
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	SPC 035EP

"Thanks to acid-tinged burners 'Buck!' and 'Press Your Body' and the Dancing Box full length, James T. Cotton has been thrust to the fore of a new school of acid house masters. 'Oochie Coo' despite its playful title, is among his most ferocious works yet -- a bounding, handclapping behemoth of a 303 beat and a haunting, disembodied voice form the basis for one fine piece of denizen acid. On the B-side is 'My Zel,' whose rumbling sub-bass and gurgling melody recall contemporaries Hieroglyphic Being and Traxx, while a calculated evolution leads the track into a sweeping, devilish dance. A new remix by 2 AM/FM completes the EP."

Artist:	AUDION/ELLEN ALLIEN
Title:	Just a Man/Just a Woman
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	SPC 036EP

"Known internationally for their cross-pollinations of pop and techno, Detroit's Matthew Dear and Berlin's Ellen Allien share a place at the fore of the underground; having toured North America together in 2005, the two agreed to transpose their dynamic to vinyl. Dear emphasizes the strongest elements of his Audion guise on 'Just a Man,' while Allien serves up a fine slice of noir electro with 'Just a Woman.' Between the two original pieces, each artist reworks the other. As a common space for two of techno's most creative minds, 'Just a Man/Woman' is an unprecedented battle of the sexes where each side makes an iron-clad case. Let's call it a truce."

Artist:	BODYCODE
Title:	The Conservation of Electric Charge
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	CD
Price:	$14.00
Catalog #:	SPC 037CD

"Lisbon, Portugal-based Alan Abrahams has earned a lot of attention lately. His releases as Portable have garnered near-universal acclaim for their deft fusion of tribal rhythms and a modern micro-house sensibility. For his first album as Bodycode, he focuses on the more dancefloor-oriented aspects of his style, yielding a gorgeous album born from the belief that the psyche can be unlocked via the body. Bodycode also came from necessity -- while on tour playing club dates, Abrahams was compelled to seek the most engaging sound for that environment. Remarkably adept at its task, Bodycode's mesmerizing percussive arrangements and subtle melodic flourishes create an immediately engaging sound that lingers in the mind long after the club has closed."

Artist:	2 AM/FM
Title:	Pt. 2
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	SPC 038EP

"Detroit's James T. Cotton and D'Marc Cantu are back with Pt. 2, the second installment of their dark acid collaboration as 2 AM/FM. Ramping up the jacking rhythms of their first 12", the duo works from a distinctly oldschool percussive palette to craft the propulsive backbeat of 'Sweat Box' and the massive groove of 'The Ace of Spades.' The epic 'Acid Planes' is an exercise in polyrhythmic permutation with the potential to take the entire dancefloor captive for its 13-minute duration. Continuing to earn their place amidst the heroes of the hugely influential Chicago acid house scene, 2 AM/FM make another stunningly strong case for the genre's vitality with Pt. 2."

Artist:	AUDION
Title:	Mouth To Mouth
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	SPC 039EP

"'Mouth to Mouth' struts in confidently, like a freshly-oiled sex robot. The murmurs of something wicked are on the horizon, but we're too busy dancing to that gorgeous nagging bass line. Things are moving along just fine until that distant hum rises to a fevered pitch and a massive buzzsaw blade takes the track's head clean off, spraying its black oil across the walls. That's when we lose it. Audion is back. 'Mouth to Mouth' was THE song of the 2006 Detroit Electronic Music Festival, pummeling crowds in the hands of Richie Hawtin in his closing set. Referred to as the 'Swarm of Bees' track by a list of starry-eyed bloggers, this cut is too funky not to dance to and too massive not to freak out about. This may be the most anticipated Audion release to date, covering crowds from across the world in its hot black remainder."

Artist:	BREITBARTH/BODYCODE, RENE
Title:	Spectral Sound Presents No. 1
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	SSP 001EP

"A parallel project of the label's core releases, the Spectral Sound Presents series aims to collect brand new standout tracks from outside artists whose work the label admires. For the first installment in the series, Cologne's René Breitbarth has offered up the mid-tempo, funk-driven burners 'Tales Medium' and 'Steam Machine' on the A-side, continuing in the superb tradition of his singles on Treibstoff (of which he is a founder). On the flip, The Mole reworks 'Hands Free Computer Interface,' originally by Bodycode, whose debut Spectral album The Conservation of Electric Charge is set for release in July 2006. With this initial entry, the Spectral Sound Presents series solidly continues the label's mission to present the best of modern dance music."

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Artist:	GRAHAM, KENNETH
Title:	Carrier Wave
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$7.00
Catalog #:	SPC 002EP

Artist:	HIEROGLYPHIC BEING
Title:	Machines For Lovers
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	SPC 012EP

Artist:	KOIVIKKO, SAMI
Title:	Sapphire
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$12.00
Catalog #:	SPC 061EP

Artist:	BROKER/DEALER
Title:	Opening Night/After Hours
Label:	SPECTRAL SOUND
Format:	12"
Price:	$6.50
Catalog #:	SPC 026EP