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LP
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RWINA 003LP
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West Coast producer and sound system-murderer Eprom is back on Rwina for a second album, Halflife, which continues the producer's mad scientist approach to what makes a dancefloor move: synthesizing the warmth of vintage computer sounds, the energy of African rhythmic traditions (including modern evolutions such as Kwaito and Shangaan electro), the swagger of southern rap and the intricacy of pioneering electronic music from the likes of Richard Devine or Curtis Roads. The result is a heady melting pot, a unique sound that has some of the best DJs in the world -- Gaslamp Killer, Kutmah, D-Styles -- and the crowds -- always wanting more. Wasting no time, Eprom opens the album with a volley of tracks built to blow up sound systems and take heads off. "Center of the Sun," "Beasts of Babylon" and "Hurricane" all display the sheer brilliance of Eprom's mad scientist streak: a minimalist blend of low-slung rhythmic alchemy, ten-ton heavy bass and dark melodies more powerful than the soulless, over-the-top showboating that characterizes much of today's dance music. On the bouncy "Vogel," he revisits some of the melodic elements from the first album while "Super FX" and "Lost Levels" come across like 2013 dancefloor versions of a Final Fantasy soundtrack, introducing a focus on brighter melodies and variations. "Screwface" opens the second half of the album with more in-your-face brilliance as drums pound the bass bins into submission before "Machine Skin" rolls in with its hypnotic arpeggio to lead dancers around like a demented Pied Piper. "Pentatonic Dust" then provides a brief and blurry interlude before another trio of short tracks -- "Moisture," "Turtle Ride" and "Subroc" -- deliver a perfect blend of what's come before: mesmerizing melodies, energetic rhythms and chest-pounding sub-frequencies. The album closes with "Cloud Leanmixx," bringing the journey to an end by stripping back some of the energy and enveloping the listener in a warm blanket of synths and rolling drums.
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2LP
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RWINA 001LP
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The musical world of Eprom is as colorful and delirious as the imagined psychedelic science-fiction worlds created by the artist Moebius. Metahuman is Eprom's debut album, borne of futuristic ideals grounding its musical offerings in a space that is far removed from our current reality yet inevitably linked to it. William Burroughs said "if you cut open the present, the future bleeds out," and so the music on this album is inspired by a possible future, but is made and consumed today -- most appropriately in the dark corners of a club where a finely-tuned sound system will allow mind and body to fully appreciate Eprom's sonic subtleties and physical pressures. Twelve tracks long, Metahuman is a bold statement of intent that is aimed squarely at the dancefloor first, though it still functions in other spaces as Eprom balances more restrained moments alongside boisterous musical bravado. "Honey Badger" is one of Eprom's most popular dance numbers that has been a centerpiece of his live sets and received support from many fellow floor-wrecking luminaries. Tracks like "Prototype" and "Can Control," meanwhile, offer a more subdued but no less potent take on eyes-down groove meditation, using powerful mood-setting atmospheres and chopped-up vocal samples from hip-hop and Jamaican music. "Floating Palace" re-appropriates hip-hop's swing for space-hopping aliens in the year 3030 while "Transparency" is one of the album's mellower moments. "Variations" hints at pop friendliness in the saturated synth melodies and bouncy swing of its backing rhythms, a feeling subtly carried into "Love Number," fused with another rhythm that clearly tips its hat to hip-hop. The energy ramps up again on "Sun Death," "The Golden Planet" and "Needle Thrasher," heading towards the album's conclusion on a bed of delirious, floor-friendly melodies and rhythm. "Raytracing" quietly closes the book by flipping many of the elements Eprom uses throughout into a more delicate lullaby. As with previous releases, Metahuman has roots in hip-hop that bleeds effortlessly into electronic and dance music. Using a sort of condensed bass minimalism as the foundation, Eprom manipulates established concepts and expectations of tension and release in ways that are refreshing.
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12"
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LSR 002EP
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The Leisure System collective from Berlin presents the second release from their newly-founded label. Responsible for the bass assault this time is San Francisco-based producer Eprom. After releases on labels like Warp and Rwina, and with one of the biggest tunes of 2010 ("Shoplifter"), Eprom graces Leisure System with nothing less than full peak-time anthems. "Feldspar" is like a 140 bpm wrecking ball, purpose-built for rewinds and dancefloor freak-outs. "Psycho" brings the speed down, but keeps up with the raw energy.
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12"
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SFS 001EP
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"San Francisco, CA's Surefire Sound starts off the new decade with a bang and launches their brand new label with an energetic single by Eprom. A fast rising West Coast bass technician, DJ and producer, Sander Dennis, aka Eprom, delivers funky, techy four-four beats on 'Never.' Eprom's original mix opens with rattling hi-hats and a hushed female vocal accented by Eprom's patented twitchy synths. A hefty kick drops, braced by a thick, bouncy mid-range bass pattern. Like recent tracks by Untold or Ramadanman, 'Never' blurs the divisions between dubstep, funky, techno and garage to form an irresistible new creation. Hyped newcomer FaltyDL had a breakthrough year in 2009. The New Yorker introduced his versatile, soulful electronic styles on a slew of singles for Planet Mu and Ramp. His Rephresh mix is a moody, shuffling reconstruction that features echoing samples, an infectious start/stop rhythm and mighty bass sweeps. DL's mix is built for maximum club pressure. About Surefire Sound: Surefire Sound is a new record label presented by the Surefire music group whose goal is to showcase upcoming and established talent in electronic music. The label is part of a collection of projects under the Surefire banner including a booking agency, PR firm, and events management division. The releases promise an array of sounds spanning genres, appealing to home listeners and dancefloors alike."
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