Category Archives: The Robot Recommends

Stiver – Hollow EP | Noisy Meditation

Posted on by
Reply

October is shaping up to be a great month and our ears have been busy. Istanbul producer Stiver dropped the ‘Hollow EP’ back on the 14th and it’s only now we are getting the chance to give it a proper listen and comment.

Fans will be pleased to hear that deep and meditative 2-step breaks are the staple throughout. ‘Hollow’ is a taut introduction with a steadily building string section and pensive vocal that increases the tension step by step. ‘Paralyzed’ is no less emotive and builds the pace well with filtered organs and cavernous percussion. In ‘Just Friends’ we are given hints of Stiver‘s recording environment with sequestered winds and echoing percussion cinematically alluding to the far away bustle of a large city at night. Finally on ‘Merged’ the desolation is offset by a faint message of hope that rolls out nicely with shifting beats that clink and shuffle over swarming choral harmonies. Masterful work, well worthy of its place in the playlist – check the links below.

Out now on Noisy Meditation

Buy from Juno

Resketch – Reason For A Reason EP | Infinite Machine

Posted on by
Reply

Liverpool-based Resketch follows up the excellent Bound In Binary EP with this phenomenally funky release on the Infinite Machine label.

Hitting play, ‘Numf’ is energetic, bright and jumpy with stabby chords and switched up synths giving way to a fixating percussive pitched vocal. ‘It Could Be’ brings it down nicely with mellow filtered down chords and a steady 4/4 beat that takes it back with an old school vocal sample. ‘Reason For A Reason’ is a boisterous electronic ballyhoo which sets the tone for Framework and Liar to drop accomplished remixes. Smash and grab people!

Out November 5th on Infinite Machine

Beta 2 & Zero T – Love Finds Me b/w Red Hands [Deepcut]

Posted on by
Reply

C.I.A offshoot DeepKut presents the next instalment of the Kuts Deep series Vol 3. 2 x CIA veterans are drafted in for this release. A side sees Beta 2, who has been away from the game, returning on top form with the vocal number ‘Love Finds Me’ featuring the vocal talents of Pete Josef.
The flip sees fellow Dubliner Zero T dropping some serious filth with the track ‘Red Hand’ This 12 is not to be missed. The latter track being a deep rolling vocal number that makes you stand up and take count. Salute!


C.I.A & Deepkut

dRamatic & dbAudio – Far Away [MARS006]

Posted on by
Reply

We’ve been pushing the Mars sound on the Robot Bodypop show and blog for some time now and it’s when gems like this are presented before you that you realise a label has come into it’s own. dRamatic & dbAudio are both present for plate 006 and the title track ‘Days Running Out’ evokes memories of a late 90’s/ early 2000 vibe DnB track but kept upfront with some smooth production and use of vocals. It’s a beautiful track and the drop break firmly puts me back 10 years. It’s like a session with a badman psychologist who makes you regress to when your soul was controlled by the dancefloor. Very welcome anyway.
On the flip, personal favourites Total Science come with a remix of ‘Far Away’. On the build it creeps in like an old friend, the vocals make you wistfully ignore the the fact that the drums control this one. A beautiful track with a ridiculous key change some way through that brings the whole track up. Amazing work.

Out on the 29th October and available at all good retailers.

MARS Recordings

Headbirds – The Holy Look – La Cupula (House Of Music)

Posted on by
Reply

For a long time it looked like Future Garage with all its melancholic melodies and minimal construction had totally left behind the formula that made UKG so great in the first place. We asked ourselves if we would ever get back to the root sound of upfront bass lines and jumping beats – Thankfully we are now seeing evidence that the genre is about to come full circle.

Barcelona based Headbirds brings the focus back to danceable rhythm and good times. With the notable  exception of ‘Temprodom’, a dark and experimental sloper, ‘Whatch The Movie’ and ‘Hungry Winds’ bang hard for the party crowd. Available now from Juno.

www.headbirds.com

IMLTD 1208 – ‘Purple Sky’ EP

Posted on by
1

French imprint IM:Ltd showcases some of their talent with the new Purple Rain EP reflecting on sounds from a wide open spectrum of deep and forward thinking drum and bass.
Berlin best kept secret Es.Tereo opens up with the soulful ‘Purple Sky’, a textured blend of synths and crisp drums. Gunston’s ‘Transition’ follows with a dark vibe coupled with creeping vocals. Ukrainian lone wolf Hibea steps it up with the menacingly minimal ‘Ellipse’ before its all wrapped up by Nuage taking the vibe up and away soaring through sonic space with ‘Above Time’. Incredible work from this label and theres a couple of bonus tracks in there too. ‘Lonely’ from hot prospect Gerwin and ‘In This Life’ from Belgian producer Atmospherix. Easily in my top 5 EPs for the year so far.